To start my Spring break off right, I adventured to my phenology spot in the search Red Maple, Northern Red Oak, Paper Birch, and American Beech. Ultimately, I found a large Paper Birch and decided to further investigate it. The white, curly, paper-looking bark is a key identifying characteristic of Paper Birches. The buds of Paper Birches are a brown-black color with ovate and pointed buds. The buds are rather narrow and the branches have white spots all over. I was able to identify this tree as a Paper Birch rather than other lookalikes such as the Gray Birch or Yellow Birch based on the color, shape, and size of the buds as well as the appearance of the bark. The branch of the Paper Birch has obvious signs of flowering as there were defined buds on the branches. Eventually, greenish-brown flowers named catkins will flower and turn into leaves. I cannot wait to see the progress of this tree in a couple of months as the phenology continues to change and evolve.
