Birch Vs. Aspen: The Difference Between the Two Trees

Birch

People have been unable to differentiate between Birch and Aspen for the longest time. For instance, they are deciduous, tall and slender, and have white bark. However, despite looking alike, the trees belong to different families. The Birch belongs to the Birch family, while the Aspen belongs to the willow family. The confusion occurs because these trees sometimes grow in the same area. Since they are both tall and slender, it would be easy to assume that it is a forest of one tree family.

However, if you study their colors, you will notice a difference. Birch is light reddish-brown, while Aspen is light-brown to almost white. It may be hard for some people to use color to distinguish the trees since there are people born with color-blindness. Fortunately, there are other ways you can distinguish these two trees by studying their appearance and how they behave. So here are some pointers to help you differentiate the two trees.

Leaf Appearance

The Birch tree leaves are V-shaped and doubly serrated. A doubly serrated leaf is a leaf with forward-pointing teeth on both leaf margins. Trees with serrated leaves are generally found in cool climates. The serrations help the leaves lose water. Also, the Birch leaves have a fine network of veins. The veins emanate from a single central vein.

Therefore, its leaves tend to contain a lot of veins. The more veins on the leaves, the more they can be held up high to trap light from the Sun. Lastly, the Birch leaf has a rounded stipule on its petiole. A petiole is a leaf stem. The rounded stipule makes it look like the leaf has a road bump. Its round shape keeps it attached to a twig.

On the other hand, Aspen leaves tend to be round and completely flat. They have round teeth on their margins, but this doesn’t mean they are serrated. For a leaf to be serrated, its teeth must be as sharp as a knife. Also, it has fewer veins than the Birch. As for its petiole, it is flat. Its flatness keeps it attached to a twig alternately. Both the trees’ leaves turn yellow during fall. Before you get confused as to which tree is which, remember to look at the shape of the leaves, as the shape is the major characteristic that will help you identify the tree.

Bark Appearance

The bark of Birches can sometimes be red, whitish-gray, or silver. On their barks, you should be able to spot the dark horizontal streaks. These streaks play a crucial role in gaseous exchange during photosynthesis. Also, they have peeling barks. This means you can peel off its bark like you would with a banana. It is normal for trees to peel their bark, but you have to determine whether it is due to its normal shedding or injury. For normal shedding, you will see some bark covering the wood.

However, if you notice some fungus while it peels its bark, then it is likely undergoing environmental damage. Aspen barks, on the other hand, are greenish-white. Next to the greenish-white streaks, there are black horizontal scars and black knots, which form an eye shape. The greenish-white color on the bark is actually chlorophyll, hence making its bark photosynthetic. When the tree is young, its bark is smooth. However, as it grows, it becomes rough to facilitate further tree growth. Lastly, the Aspen bark is a good food source for butterflies and herbivores. So, if you see animals eating bark from a tree, then it is likely an aspen tree.

Buds

The buds of the Birch are cone-shaped and reddish-purple. Birch buds begin to form in early spring and become fully grown by mid-summer. Generally, Birch buds take a long time to mature. A mature bud is usually four millimeters long. The buds of birches are usually slightly pointed in the air. On a birch, the buds have a lateral arrangement.

Their arrangement inhibits the growth of terminal buds by producing a hormone called auxin. Aspen buds have a reddish-brown color. Amazingly, their buds are cone-shaped. However, you should be able to distinguish Aspen buds and Birch buds based on their colors alone. Compared to Birch, Aspen buds require less time to mature. Also, Aspen buds tend to develop bud scars. Bud scars develop around the stem and the branch of this tree. They have a ring-like appearance.

Flowers

Birch flowers form a cluster of flowers called inflorescence. The inflorescence is an essential function since it aids in the cross-pollination process. With its flowers hanging out conspicuously, birds and insects can move toward the flowers. Also, wind can aid in pollination. The shape of the inflorescence is called a catkin. A Birch’s catkin tends to be slender. Its catkins tend to blossom in spring, even before the birch’s leaves appear. The catkins on the birch can be of either gender.

They appear on different sections of its branches within the same tree. For such a tree, self-pollination will take place for this tree. As for the Aspen tree, its catkins have a robust shape. Just like Birch, the catkins begin to blossom during spring. Lastly, male and female catkins do not appear on the same tree. Instead, each gender occupies its own tree. So, for pollination to occur in Aspen trees, cross-pollination has to occur.

Conclusion

Did this guide help you distinguish between Birch and Aspen? Hopefully, it did because it is crucial to distinguish them, especially if you are a lumberjack. Remember, though similar, each tree has different uses. For instance, Aspen wood is soft and lightweight. It is therefore ideal for making paddles and canoes.

But, on the other hand, if you want floors for your home, Birch would be the best tree for that. The reason is that Birch is hard and has natural light visual appeal. If you did not know the differences, you would cut down the wrong tree and use it to manufacture an item you shouldn’t. In such a scenario, it would be a waste of timber since you wouldn’t be able to make an item you intended to make.

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