← Bedfellow

River Birch

Betula nigra

Exfoliating salmon-cream bark. Tolerates wet sites; resists bronze birch borer.

Family

Betulaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

40–70 ft

Spacing

40–60 ft apart

Light

part shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

February, March

Bloom colors

green, brown

Wildlife value

larval host, songbirds

Caterpillar hosts

~411 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV