A stiff wood with excellent shock resistance. Used in fine furniture. The sapwood is pale yellow, while the heartwood is light reddish brown. Yellow birch is a deciduous hardwood which grows principally in the upland, hilly terrain of the Northeastern and Lake States forests: There are nine species of birch native to North America, including the very distinctive and familiar white trunk paper birch. But the species named yellow birch is the most common and important commercial lumber birch. It is identified by its bright, yellowish bronze colored bark that peels in long, thin horizontal strips. Cream or lightly tinged with red. Fine grained (often curly or wavy). Heavy, strong, hard, and even-textured. Birch takes paints and stains well.