tree I.D.?

[Crow Hunter]

I found these trees on my land, are they yellow birch? Something else?

[jentz]

The bark says yellow birch,The leaves and catkins would give it away.I see alder on the left in the second pic=Good smoking wood.

[PurpleFloyd]

As do the leaves but I have to admit I did not do well in my Dendrology course in college. The professor had a lot to do with that.

Quote:

yellow birch Betulaceae Betula alleghaniensis Britton Listen to the Latin symbol: BEAL2 Other Fact Sheets

Leaf: Alternate, simple, ovate, 4 to 6 inches long, pinnately-veined, acute tip, rounded base, doubly serrate margins, somewhat soft or fuzzy, dark green above and paler below.

Flower: Species is monoecious; males are preformed catkins occuring near ends of twig, 1 inch long, reddish green; females are upright 5/8 inches long, reddish green; appear or elongate (males) in the spring.

Fruit: Cone like, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, rather plump, upright, with many hairy scales containing 2-winged nutlets, matures in fall and disperse over winter.

Twig: Slender, green-brown and hairy when young, light-brown and smooth later; spur shoots present on older trees; buds are ovoid, sharply pointed, reddish brown with ciliate scale margins. Twigs have a wintergreen smell when broken.

Bark: On younger stems shiny bronze (sometimes gray), peeling horizontally in thin, curly, papery strips; older trees develop red-brown scaly plates.

Form: A medium size tree to 75 feet with an irregular crown.

[Powerstroke]

Yellow birch or river birch.

[SkunkedAgain]

If your at all curious, there are some great little pocket books at most bookstores for specifically identifying Minnesota trees