River Birch

Betula nigra (BET-yoo-luh NY-gruh)

Family: Betulaceae Native Canopy (>40 ft)

River birch is a native, deciduous, upright tree with cinnamon-brown, exfoliating bark and yellow fall foliage that tends to drop off the tree early and quickly. A member of the birch family (Betulaceae), it is the only native birch that does well in low elevations of the south. Betula is Latin for “birch” and is a genus of about 60 species of deciduous trees and shrubs. The species epithet is Latin for "black," but the reference is obscure. River birch prefers wet sites and does best in moist, acidic, sandy, or rocky, well-drained loam in full sun to part shade. The best foliage color occurs in full sun. River birch is perhaps the most culturally adaptable and heat-tolerant of the birches. This species has been known to tolerate flooded conditions for extended periods of time. For this reason, it is naturally found in riverbanks, streambanks and floodplains. It is also wind-resistant. In the landscape, keep the soil consistently moist and consider using soaker hoses and bark mulches to keep the root zones cool and moist. It needs little pruning, but if necessary, you can prune during the dormant season. Do not prune in winter or spring when the sap is running because it will bleed. The bark of young river birch trees is reddish-brown with a papery appearance. The bark peels away year-round, and the inner bark varies in hue from light to dark. The papery bark layers remain attached, giving it an attractive ragged appearance. The bark gives this tree winter appeal. Consider planting the Heritage® cultivar, which has superior ornamental characteristics. River birch tends to shed interior leaves during summer droughts and dry periods and can become stressed by summer heat and humidity. It also tends to drop a lot of twigs, making it better suited for less manicured areas of the landscape. Site the tree as a specimen or small grouping for shade or screening in the lawn, a rain garden, or naturalized, woodland or riparian areas. It is perfect for rain gardens, winter gardens, native and butterfly gardens, cottage gardens, English formal gardens and children’s gardens. Do not plant it next to the house, because falling branchlets will clog gutters. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Although river birch is resistant to the bronze birch borer, which infects and kills trees, aphids, leaf miner and birch skeletonizer may occur. Watch for leaf spot problems. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology,” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ Reconciled to full toolbox: matched by slug to slug 'betula-nigra'. Identity (id/common/scientific name) preserved from the original 87-plant Hunnicutt set; attribute data refreshed from the 72-attribute toolbox scrape.