Battle of the firewoods- American Beech vs Black Birch

Don’t worry Black Locust will have it’s turn. I’ve already thought of a worthy contender. Maybe I’ll do them in next weeks episode

 

We don’t have any black birch so beech wins hands down.

 

So not be be wishy washy I’ll vote black birch. Mostly for the reasons stated beech usually has some rot issues and hardly ever splits nicely.

 

I'm out! We don't have black birch and I've never cut or burnt beech.

 

You beat me to it.

 

There's a couple of different kinds of black birch and, like tulip poplar, one of them isn't even a birch.
I've never seen a black birch around here, but it is entirly possible I've tripped over one once or twice without realizing it. On my own plot I have some grey birch and some golden birch (which burns rather nice if split and dried well) . There may have been some white birch as a pioneer species but I'm fairly sure they were just young grey birch. They're long gone so I can't study leaves and flowers to really nail it down.

 

The older Black Birches can sometimes be confused with certain kinds of Cherry, and vice versa. When young, they have smooth bark that transitions to rough, even developing "plates". One giveaway for me is the smell when you get under the bark. Wintergreen.

 

Yes. The River Birch are also sometimes referred to as Black Birch. They have much flakier paper bark that looks like it’s peeling off and is lighter in color, very light gray or tan. To add to the confusion White/Paper Birch is sometimes called Gray Birch although it’s not gray in color.

 

True, and if all that isn't complicated enough for you, Aspen trees can easily get mistaken for White Birch.

 

From the map it looks like BB is around here...if I've ever cut any I didn't realize what it was...

 

Mix some big tooth aspen in to the soup as well

 

I love me a stove full of beech, can't say I have ever had birch

 

It would be interesting to know how common it is here...must not be too common since none of us in this area seem to know of ever having any...

 

GO BEECH!!!

 

Like you I may have had some but didn't know what it was. Strange sometimes how wooded areas are different. Up until about 8 or 10 years ago I never had oak in my stacks and very little hickory. I cut in several wooded areas on a big farm and had a lot of beech, maple, locust, ash and cherry but no oak. Then the same farmer bought the adjoining property and it was full of oak and hickory.

 

I imagine black birch to you Midwest guys is like Boxelder to us in New England. I think I found ONE near me a long time ago that someone had cut up and ditched it into the woods. The only way I was able to identify it was by the color inside the heart wood. How about those Buckeye trees too? There's something I haven't seen in person yet.

 

Another thing to note is BB often grows in groups. Not always, but you’ll see 2 or 3 grouped really close together in bunches.

 

Sorry bout that. For some reason i thought you had said you never burned beech.

 

It’s alright. I said I don’t have any on my land. I have burned some, though it’s been many years.

 

Probably yard tree with lots of knots. It can have twisty grain. Most ive had did split easily.