1.  Late April.  View of birch bark with a
pair of leaf buds on short twigs.

2.  Late April.  Two male catkins at the
termination of a branch.

3.  Late April.  A leaf bud at the end of a
twig.  Multiple leaves will develop from
this bud.  scars from leaves of previous
years are seen on the twig below the bud.

4.  Early May.  Another pair of male catkins
which will be in bloom by the end of May

5.  Early May.  A resinous twig with
several leaf buds.

6.  Early May.  Upper section of tree with Male
catkins, leaf buds and remains of last
year's female catkins.

7.  Mid-May.  Last year's female catkins
with this year's expanding leaf buds.

8.  Late May.  Probably two Betula species
leafing out, neoalaskana and occidentalis.
Note however that an upper branch of the
white birch has lost its white bark and is
covered with a non-peeling dark bark

9.  Late May.  Leaves out, although still
small with numerous male catkins
which are drooping and possibly producing
pollen.

10.  Early June.  A small lower branch with a
single erect female catkin.

11.  Close-up of female catkin in 10.

12.  Early June.  Leaves from the four
species of birch in our area.

13.  Late June.  Ends of branches from
the four species of birch.

14.  May 5, 2012.  Peeling bark on a
birch trunk.

15. Late August.  Birches in their various
fall colors.  Yellow is the common fall
color.  The tree with the orange leaves
turns this color every year.  Note that the
bark has a pinkish cast.

16.  Late August.  Not all of the "paper
birches" have straight trunks.  Most have
leaves which turn yellow in the fall, but some
tree produce orange or almost crimson leaves.

17.  Early September.  A tree with
red-orange leaves.

18.  Close-up of leaves on tree in photo 17.

19.  Late August.

20.  Late August.

21. Late August.  Photos 19-21 of orange leaves.

22.  Late August.  Yellow leaves which have
already begun decomposition.  Most of the
"paper birches" have leaves which turn
yellow in the fall.

23.  Late September.  Mature seed "cones"

24. Early September.  Remains of birch "cones"
which have been blown to the edge of a
street in Fairbanks.

25.  Late September.  A bract from a birch "cone".
The shape of the bract is useful in identifying
the species.

26.   May 18, 2009.   An older tree with
rough bark.

27.   May 18, 2009.  Closer view of the
trunk of the tree in Photo 26.

28.   May 18, 2009.  An even closer view of the
trunk of the tree in photos 26 and 27.

29.   May 20, 2009.  Close-up of a trio of
male catkins.

30.   May 20, 2009.  Another large tree.

31.  May 18, 2010.  Another expanding
leaf bud.

32.  May 19, 2010.  End of a branch with a
two expanding leaf buds, a female catkin
arising from one of the leaf buds, and two male catkins.

 

33.  September 7, 2011.  A cluster of
young trees with very red leaves
.  Note the younger trees just in front
of the cluster with the brown bark.

 

 

34.  September 7, 2011.  Close-up of
a leaf from one of the brown-barked
trees in photo 33.

35.  September 7, 2011.  Close-up of
another leaf from one of the brown-barked
trees.

36. May 24, 2012.  Leaves shortly after
emerging from the leaf buds.

37.  August 4, 2012  A mature female birch
catkin with green bracts which protect the
winged seeds.

 

Photos 1-7, 23, 25 and 32 taken south of Central
65°  33.84' N,  144° 48.46' W
Elev. 950 ft.

Photos 8-11, 15 and taken at 9.5 mile
Portage Creek Road.
65°  25.192' N   144°  48.197
Elev. 1900 ft.

Photo 12 taken at 8.5 mile
Portage Creek road.
65° 25.76' N, 144° 46.65' W
Elev. 2200 ft.

Photo 15 near upper Half Dollar
Creek.
65° 25.51' N, 144° 46.60' W
Elev. 2000 ft.

Photos 16, and 19-22 taken along
the portage Creek road between 8.3
and 9.3 mile.

Photos 17 and 18 taken along
the Steese highway between Eagle
and twelvemile summits.

 

 

.

Photo 24 taken on Esquire street
in Fairbanks.

Photos 26-28 taken west of Central at
122.8 mile Steese highway.
65°  33.8' N,  144° 57.68' W
Elev.1300 ft.

Photos 29-30 taken on the Ketchem Rocks.
A series of granite tors located
six miles south of Central, Alaska.
65°  29.1' N,  144° 45.2' W
Elev. 1300 ft.

Photos 33-35 taken along the Steese
Highway near 35 mile.

Photos 14, 36 and 37 taken at the
museum in Central.
65°  34.3' N,  144° 48.6' W
Elev. 950 ft.