If cut in its prime (the largest form) it will yield 2 Birchnuts in Autumn (colored leaves), 1 in Spring and Summer (green leaves), and no Birchnuts in Winter (leafless). Standing under one offers moderate wetness protection from Rain, and slows Overheating.
Downloadable Content
In the Shipwrecked DLC and Hamlet DLC, Birchnut Trees will not gain colored leaves in any of the seasons, and neither will they lose their leaves.
Tips
It is best to chop down Birchnut Trees in Autumn, since they drop an extra Birchnut, which means the player can more efficiently make a Birchnut Tree farm, or plant one Birchnut and use the other for a Trail Mix.
Birchnutters can be an effective way to gather Birchnuts and Twigs.
Trivia
The name "Birchnut" is a portmanteau of the words "birch" and "chestnut".
Birchnuts also look similar to chestnuts, and the bark of the Birchnut tree looks similar to that of the birch tree.
It may also be a pun on "beechnuts", the fruit and seeds of the beech tree. Wickerbottom says the species belongs in Fagales, which is the taxonomic order that includes beeches, chestnuts, and birches. Birchnuts also resemble beechnuts.
In the first version of Reign of Giants, Birchnut Trees were simply named "Deciduous Trees". It's still named as such in the game's files.
Pigs, and other mobs that are able to smash structures, are the only mobs that can destroy Poison Birchnut Trees.
Despite having white bark, these trees drop normal logs with brown bark.
During Autumn, the tree's leaves will change colors (red, brown, or orange) and can be seen falling off. This mimics real world deciduous tree color changes in the fall or autumn.
Wilson's quote upon examination of a Birchnut Tree is different from what he would say about an Evergreen ("It's all Leafy. Most of the time." compared to "It's all Piney.").
Birchnut Trees resemble the truffula trees from The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.
Bugs
If the player survives a night near the limits of the tree's attack range, there is a slight possibility that the tree will be pacified the next day.
If the player waits until dusk, sometimes the tree does not aggro and can be cut down without any consequences.
All Birchnut Trees may fail to grow leaves after winter. Birchnuts planted in any season except winter will grow leaves. Keep some Birchnuts in the ice box during winter to plant in the spring or try to get a Birchnut from a Catcoon to replenish trees with leaves. Burn for charcoal or chop for wood trees that have no leaves, they will not get their leaves back and will not drop Birchnuts when chopped.
Gallery
Birchnut Trees of various colors that appear during Autumn.
A bare Birchnut Tree during Winter.
Maxwell with some Birchnut Trees in Spring, as he inspects one.
A burnt Birchnut Tree.
A Birchnut Tree sapling.
Birchnut Trees as seen in the Reign of Giants release trailer.
Attention: The following categories are only for the players look up the page based on their first impression, they have nothing to do with the actual categories/DLC/function/tags of these Things. Some of them are not even.
Attention: The following categories are only for the players look up the page based on their first impression, they have nothing to do with the actual categories/DLC/function/tags of these Things. Some of them are not even.
Attention: The following categories are only for the players look up the page based on their first impression, they have nothing to do with the actual categories/DLC/function/tags of these Things. Some of them are not even.
Attention: The following categories are only for the players look up the page based on their first impression, they have nothing to do with the actual categories/DLC/function/tags of these Things. Some of them are not even.