Birch, American

Yellow Birch

Names and distribution:

In this country, ‘American birch’ is understood to mean the so-called “yellow birch”. It is a particularly dense and heavy species within the Betula genus. Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) is widespread in the north-eastern states of the USA and in eastern Canada, mostly associated with hard maple (see Canadian maple). The wood of this species is also traded in Europe under the term “diamond birch”.

Wooden picture:

All woods of the Betula genus are characterized by a uniform structure and medium-fine pores. The sapwood and the outer part of the heartwood is white to light brown, the late wood zones, similar to sycamore maple, have a subtle yellowish brown color. In the core area, some types of wood are rather dark, i.e. brown or gray-brown in color, depending on the location. Overall, a rather plain, partly decorative wood. Yellow Birch is altogether denser and whiter than the European Birch. Birch species.

Properties:

The specific weight of American birch is given as approx. 0.80 ^t/m3 at a wood moisture content of 12%. With regard to processing and drying, the cand. Maple comparable. The stamina is good, also comparable to hard maple. The shrinkage from fiber saturation to u=12% is 4.2% radial and 6.8% tangential. The E-module is approx. 17,900 ^N/mm2. The Brinell hardness is significantly higher than that of oak. It is specified as 40. The wood is easy to work with all tools and produces smooth surfaces. Wood is sensitive to fungi and is not durable.

Use:

Furniture making, woodturning, toys, veneers, parquet flooring.