White Birch Logs

White Birch Logs

• The white birch tree (Betula papyrifera) produces logs with distinctive white bark that peels off easily in strips, a characteristic that provides the tree with its other common name, paper birch. Of the 12 species of birch native to North America, yellow, white and sweet birch trees are the three that produce logs of significant size and commercial value. When white birch logs are harvested from the trunk, they may measure nearly 6 feet in diameter.

Comparing White Birch

• The wood of a high quality white birch log will contain sapwood that is wide and white, accompanied by a light red hardwood. The white sapwood is in highest demand within the lumber industry. Carpenters and others who attempt to work with the shaping and boring of white birch logs will notice that it is considerably more difficult to manipulate than other birch species and is also lighter in weight and slightly weaker in overall strength.

Finding White Birch

• White birch logs are without odor and boast a straight, porous grain that makes them ideal for easy staining and finish. The species is sometimes utilized as an alternative to maple wood. Lumber stores tend to keep the logs of white birch and yellow birch separate, as white birch is generally a smaller tree with shorter and narrower logs. The native range of the white birch tree focuses on the extreme Northeastern U.S. and the Upper Midwest.

Fun Facts

• White birch logs and the bark they hold maintain a unique place in the history of the U.S. Native-Americans famously utilized the bark and logs for the construction of canoes, tents, dinnerware, rattles and many other items. In some areas, that tradition continues today. The bark of white birch logs is best harvested during times of winter thaw or when the sap first begins to flow in the spring. A typical log may contain up to nine layers of bark.