Betula alleghaniensis to the thin bark and lack of ability to resprout, it is easily killed by wildfire. Sugar maple ("Acer saccharum") exerts allelopathic effects on seedlings of yellow birch and decreases their growth ability. The inhibitory chemical is exuded from the roots of the sugar maple and has a very short soil half-life, it no longer has effects on birch after 5 days. It is listed as endangered in Illinois. Yellow birch is considered the most important species of birch for lumber and an important hardwood timber tree; as such, the wood of "Betula alleghaniensis" is extensively used for flooring, furniture,
Betula lenta male catkins pendulous, the female catkins erect. The fruit, maturing in fall, is composed of numerous tiny winged seeds packed between the catkin bracts. Seed production mainly occurs in trees that are between 40 and 200 years old, although light crops may occur as early as 15 years and as long as the tree lives. Contrary to common knowledge, the lifespan of "B. lenta" is typically around 200 years, and many individuals will reach 250 and even 300 years. The oldest known "B. lenta" has been confirmed to be 368 years old, and the species may live even longer than