Plant Image Data Base                                         

    Betula nigra

                                                         River Birch

• Form
  • large-sized deciduous shade tree
  • maturing at 60' tall by 40' wide
  • upright pyramidal to upright oval growth habit (single-trunked trees are the natural form and are commercially available, but River Birch is often sold in multi-trunked form with two to five trunks per "tree")
  • rapid growth rate
• Culture
  • full sun to partial sun
  • Birch Family, being highly resistant to the Bronze Birch Borer and basically trouble-free of diseases and pests which plague other Birches
  • abundant availability in ball and burlap form, with low but increasing availability in container form
  • avoid pruning in Spring, as sap will profusely bleed from the wounds (this will not harm the tree, however); pruning is best accomplished in Summer or Autumn
• Foliage
  • medium to dark green upper sides, fluttering in the wind (as do all members of the Birch Family) to expose the silvery-colored undersides
  • fall color is chartreuse in poor years, but golden-yellow to yellow-brown in good years
• Trunk
  • very scaly to platy, gray-brown to almost black bark on the trunk of the species form
  • shredding grayish-brown bark on the branches of the species form, but with selected varieties having peach-purple colored papery exfoliating branches

• Function
  • specimen, focal point, group planting, or shade tree (casts a light dappled shade in youth, but a solid medium shade with maturity)
• Purpose
  • River Birch is one of the very best and most rapidly growing trees for both shade and ornamental bark.
• Summary
  • Betula nigra is a large, rapidly-growing, fine-textured shade tree for dry or wet sites, with nursery-grown selections often sold in clumps of two to five trunks, having peach-colored exfoliating bark that is quite attractive, especially in winter.

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