Water birch?

[Noble_Ma]

I had to cut down some birch trees this weekend because they were inundated with wild grape vines.  They were white birch and what I thought were sweet birch.  I didn't smell the wintergreen smell when I cut them down.  I looked them up and think they are water birch.  By the time I got back outside, the end cuts had turned an orange color?  The book didn't make any mention of this?  Has anyone ever seen this before?  The book did mention that they usually grow in bunches and have smooth bark with horizontal marks.  The trees fit the discription in the book.

[Tom]

We have a River Birch that I'm told is a Red Birch.  It turns red after it is sawed.  Might be the same stuff.  This tree is pretty localized here and grows next to rivers in very specific places.  I've only seen larger stands on the banks of the St. Mary's.  It is of local interest but not commercial.

[SwampDonkey]

We have grey birch Betula populifolia[/] up here that grows on wetlands or shallow disturbed poorer soils. Has single male catkin (flowers) at the ends of branches. Has triangular shaped, glossy leaves. If trees are cut in spring or early summer on most birches they turn orange on the stump as the sap flows and insects and fungi invade for the sugars.

[rebocardo]

Someone planted various kinds of trees on my property, then forgot about them I guess. So, when cleaning the lot I cut some Birch down (gray bark) and I was surprised to see the wood turn a deep orange afterwards. Just figured it was sap or something.