Scientific Name:
Betula nigra
Pronunciation:
BET-you-luh NYE-gruh
Common Name:
river birch
Family Name:
Betulaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Bark shaggy, peeling, red-brown; leaves alternate, rhombic-ovate, most blades 5-9cm long x 4-7cm wide, double serrate, most with 7 pairs of veins running parallel off the midrib, petioles 1-1.5cm long; catkins separate female (become cone-like, 3-lobe scales) and male (<8cm, yellow-brown), early spring. Winter ID: exfoliating bark, yellow leaves; lateral buds conical, 3-5mm long glabrous, diverging from twigs, red tinged, wintergreen smell; immature male catkins.
Habit:
Open, Twiggy, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
15 - 22m
Mature Spread:
10 - 15m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Canada - eastern, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Bog, Well-drained
Water Use:
Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Fall interest, Group or mass planting, Shade tree, Specimen plant, Wetland - bogs, Wildlife food, Winter interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Lustrous, Pubescent
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Ovate, Rhomboidal
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cuneate
Margins:
Double serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Catkin (ament)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green-yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Fruit Type:
Samara
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jun, Jul
Additional Info:
Female catkin release many tiny samaras
Bark Morphology:
Showy, Papery, Shaggy, Multi-stem trunk, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Red, Brown, Black
Leaf Bud Type:
Conical (long-pointed) (Distinctive smell)
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Organ Modifications:
Ectomycorrhizae
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Anthracnose, Dieback, Fungal leaf spot, Leaf miner insect, Rust, Virus
Specific Pests:
(Low susceptibility to bronze birch borer compared to other birch species)
Course(s):
- HORT 1155
Location(s):
- (CGW) Community Garden West
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLE) Turf Field Lab East
- (TFLN) Turf Field Lab North