Birch (Betula spp.) is composed of 30 to 50 species growing in Asia [12], North America [4] and Europe [4]. All species look alike microscopically. The word betula is the classical Latin name of birch. The important species are yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis), sweet birch (B. lenta), and paper birch (B. papyrifera). Other birches of some commercial importance are river birch (B. nigra), gray birch (B. populifolia), and western paper birch (B. papyrifera var. commutata).
Betula alleghaniensis* black birch, Canadian silky wood, gray birch, hard birch, Quebec birch, silver birch, swamp birch, white birch, witch hazel, yellow birch
Betula lenta* black birch, black cherry birch, cherry birch, mahogany, mahogany birch, mountain birch, mountain mahogany, red birch, river birch, spice birch, yellow birch, sweet birch
Betula nana swamp birch
Betula nigra* black birch, red birch, river birch, water birch
Betula occidentalis black birch, canyon birch, cherry birch, mountain birch, red birch, red canyon birch, spring birch, swamp birch, sweet birch, water birch, western birch, western paper birch, western red birch
Betula papyrifera* black birch, canoe birch, gray birch, large white birch, northwestern paper birch, paper birch, red birch, silver birch, western birch, western paper birch, white birch
Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera paper birch (typical)
Betula papyrifera var. commutata western paper birch
Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia mountain paper birch
Betula papyrifera var. kenaica Kenai birch
Betula papyrifera var. neoalaskana Alaska paper birch
Betula papyrifera var. subcordata northwestern paper birch
Betula pendula silver birch, white birch
Betula populifolia* blue birch, blueleaf birch, broom birch, fire birch, gray birch, oldfield birch, pin birch, poplar-leaved birch, poverty birch, small white birch, white birch, wire birch
Betula pumila dwarf birch
Betula uber Ashe's birch, Virginia birch, Virginia roundleaf birch
*commercial species
Distribution: North America. Yellow birch, sweet birch, and paper birch grow principally in the Northeastern and Lake States. Yellow and sweet birch also grow along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. Paper birch is also found throughout Canada and Alaska. Yellow, sweet, and paper birch are the source of most birch lumber and veneer.
The Tree: Birches can reach a height of 70 ft (21m),
with a diameter of more than 2 ft
(0.6 m).
General Wood Characteristics: The wood varies slightly among species. The wood of yellow birch and sweet birch is heavy, hard and strong, while that of paper birch is lighter, and less hard, strong and stiff. All birches have a fine, uniform texture. Paper birch is easy to work with hand tools; sweet birch and yellow birch are difficult to work with hand tools and difficult to glue, but easily machined.
Yellow birch has white sapwood and light reddish-brown heartwood.
Sweet birch has
light-colored sapwood and dark brown heartwood tinged with red.
Weighta
Weight
Moisture Specific lb/ft3 kg/m3
content gravity
B. alleghaniensis
(yellow birch)
Green 0.55 57 913
12% 0.62 43 689
Ovendry 0.66 NA NA
B. lenta
(sweet birch)
Green 0.60 57 913
12% 0.65 46 737
Ovendry 0.71 NA NA
B. nigra
(river birch)
Green 0.49b NA NA
12% NA NA NA
Ovendry NA NA NA
B. papyrifera
(paper birch)
Green 0.48 50 801
12% 0.55 38 609
Ovendry 0.60 NA NA
B. papyrifera var. neoalaskana
(Alaska paper birch)
Green 0.49c 48 48
12% 0.55c 38 38
Ovendry 0.59 NA NA
B. populifolia
(gray birch)
Green 0.45c 46 737
12% 0.51c 35 561
Ovendry 0.55 NA NA
aUnless otherwise noted, references are as
follows: specific
gravity at green and 12% moisture
content, (98); ovendry
specific gravity, (59); weight, (59).
bReference (90).
cReference (59).
Mechanical properties
Property Green Dry
B. alleghaniensis (yellow birch)a
MOE 1.50 106 10.342 GPa 2.01 106 13.859 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 8.30 103 57.229 MPa 16.6 103 114.457 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.38 103 23.305 MPa 8.17 103 56.332 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.43 103 2.965 MPa 0.97 103 6.688 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 16.1 111.010 20.8 143.416
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 780 lbf 3,469.44 N 1,260 lbf 5,604.48 N
Shear| | 1.11 103 7.653 MPa 1.88 103 12.962 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
B. lenta (sweet birch)a
MOE 1.65 106 11.376 GPa 2.17 106 14.962 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 9.40 103 64.813 MPa 16.9 103 116.526 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.74 103 25.787 MPa 8.54 103 58.883 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.47 103 3.241 MPa 1.08 103 7.447 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 15.7 108.252 18.0 124.110
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 970 lbf 4,314.56 N 1,470 lbf 6,538.56 N
Shear| | 1.24 103 8.549 MPa 2.24 103 15.444 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
B. papyrifera (paper birch)a
MOE 1.17 106 8.067 GPa 1.59 106 10.963 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 6.40 103 44.128 MPa 12.3 103 84.809 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 2.36 103 16.272 MPa 5.69 103 39.233 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.27 103 1.862 MPa 0.60 103 4.137 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 16.2 111.699 16.0 110.320
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 560 lbf 2,490.88 N 910 lbf 4,047.68 N
Shear| | 0.84 103 5.792 MPa 1.21 103 8.343 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
B. papyrifera var. neoalaskana (Alaska paper birch)b
MOE 1.35 106 9.308 GPa 1.9 106 13.101 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 7.1 103 48.955 MPa 13.6 103 93.772 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.03 103 20.892 MPa 7.45 103 51.368 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
0.43 103 2.965 MPa 0.82 103 5.654 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 11.6 79.982 kJ/m3 13.9 95.841
in-lbf/in3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 560 lbf 2,490.88 N 830 lbf 3,691.84 N
Shear| | 0.92 103 6.343 MPa 1.4 103 9.653 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
B. populifolia (gray birch)b
MOE NA 106 NA GPa 1.15 106 7.929 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR NA 103 NA MPa 9.80 103 67.571 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | NA 103 NA MPa 4.87 103 33.579 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C NA 103 NA MPa 0.92 103 6.343 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML NA in-lbf/in3 NA kJ/m3 10.8 103 74.466
lbf/in2 kJ/m3
Hardness NA lbf NA 760 lbf 3,380.48 N
Shear| | NA 103 NA MPa 1.34 103 9.239 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (98).
bReference (59).
Drying and shrinkagea
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final
moisture content)
Type of shrinkage 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
Tangential
B. alleghaniensis 9.5 7.4 3.1
(yellow birch)
B. lenta (sweet 9.0 NA NA
birch)
B. nigra (river 9.2 NA NA
birch)
B. papyrifera (paper 8.6 6.9 2.9
birch)
B. papyrifera var. 9.9 NA NA
neoalaskana
(Alaska paper
birch)
B. populifolia (gray NA NA NA
birch)
Radial
B. alleghaniensis 7.3 5.8 2.4
(yellow birch)
B. lenta (sweet 6.5 NA NA
birch)
B. nigra (river 4.7 NA NA
birch)
B. papyrifera (paper 6.3 5.0 2.1
birch)
B. papyrifera var. 6.5 NA NA
neoalaskana
(Alaska paper
birch)
B. populifolia (gray 5.2 NA NA
birch)
Volumetric
B. alleghaniensis 16.8 13.4 5.6
(yellow birch)
B. lenta (sweet 15.6 NA NA
birch)
B. nigra (river 13.5 NA NA
birch)
B. papyrifera (paper 16.2 13.0 5.4
birch)
B. papyrifera var. 16.7 NA NA
neoalaskana
(Alaska paper
birch)
B. populifolia (gray 14.7 NA NA
birch)
aBirch shrinks considerably during drying.
References: 0% MC (98),
6% and 20% MC (90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Conditionb 6/4 stock stock stock stock
stock
B. lenta (sweet birch), B. nigra (river birch),
B. populifolia (gray birch) and
B. papyrifera (paper birch).
Standard T10-C4 T8-D3 NA NA NA
1-in. squares T10-C6 NA NA NA
Whiter 1-in. T5-C6
squares
2-in. squares T8-C4
Whiter 2-in. T5-C4
squares
B. alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Standard T8-C4 T5-C3 T5-B3 T3-B2 T3-A1
1-in. squares T8-C5
2-in. squares T5-C4
aReferences (6, 86).
b1 in. = 25.4 mm.
Working Properties: Working properties may vary with species. In general, birches split during nailing; if successfully nailed, they have good nail-holding properties.
Durability: Rated as slightly or nonresistant to heartwood decay.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Yellow and sweet birch lumber and veneer are used principally in the manufacture of furniture, boxes, baskets, crates, woodenware, cooperage, interior finish, and doors. Birch veneer goes into plywood used for flush doors, furniture, paneling, radio and television cabinets, aircraft, and other specialty uses. Paper birch is used for turned products, including spools, bobbins, small handles, and toys. Also used for pulp wood, fuel wood, turnery, distillation products, toothpicks, ice cream sticks and tongue depressors.
Toxicity: Birches can cause dermatitis (40, 64, 105).
Additional Reading: 8, 29, 55, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.