An ancient species that dates back to the Ice Age, it is found as far south as the Carolinas, however it thrives in cold northern climates. The lustrous, smooth, silvery-yellow bark on the limbs and young trunks gives the tree its name. As the trunk grows larger, the bark breaks and rolls back in thin paper curls. The twigs have a faint wintergreen scent like that of the black birch, with which this tree may be confused. However, the wintergreen scent of black birch twigs is very strong.
Yellow birch is browsed by moose, white-tailed deer, and snowshoe hares.
The deer eat large amounts of seedlings in summer, and prefer the green leaves and woody stems in fall. The seeds are eaten by common redpoll, pine siskin, chickadees, and other songbirds. Ruffed grouse feed on seeds, catkins, and buds. Red squirrels cut and store mature strobili, eat yellow birch seeds, and also feed on birch sap. The yellow-bellied sapsucker uses yellow birch as a summer food source.