Searchable database and photo gallery for the 3,200 vascular plants of Louisiana VT south to FL west to TX north through OK, NE, MI, IO, and MN. River birch is drought sensitive and does not like hot, dry summers. Living Room Furniture Arrangement Ideas ... and 'Fox Valley' varieties of river birch at your local garden center. It normally grows with a central leader and small-diameter, dark-colored lateral branches. form a strategic partnership called N.C. 'Little King' Form (Stowe Botanical Garden, NC). Rough or S1S paper birch should cost $2.50 to $4.00 a board foot. The papery bark layers remain attached giving it an attractive ragged appearance. Betula nigra, or River Birch, is a deciduous, upright, flowering tree with cinnamon brown, exfoliating bark and yellow fall foliage that tends to drop off the tree quickly. Silver birch is a vigorously sprouting and light-demanding pioneer species which quickly occupies bare ground. Enter your search terms. Host plant for Mourning Cloak and Dreamy Duskywing butterflies. Smooth on young trees, salmon to rust-colored, develops papery scales. But as a landscape tree, it can be planted almost anywhere in the U.S. Zones 3-7. It normally grows with a central leader and small-diameter, dark-colored lateral branches. These plants grow 6 to 12 feet tall and wide and feature peeling bark. As the tree ages, bark divides into flat, scaly ridges. Betulaceae Betula nigra - river birch: Leaf, alternate, simple, doubly serrate margins, deltoid shape. Aphids and caterpillars infest … The leaves are simple, alternate and toothed. A tree of floodplains and swampy bottomlands, this versatile species also grows well in drier soils. Although it is not drought tolerant, it still has a high heat tolerance. The scales on a mature tree lack the loose curling and are closely pressed into thick, irregular plates. Gray, Paper Birch Trees . River Birch or Betula nigra ; Paper Birch or Betula papyrifera; Japanese Stewartia or Stewartia pseudocamellia; Tall Stewartia or Stewartia monadelpha; Tibetan or Birch Bark Cherry or Prunus serrula; Prunus serrula - photo courtesy of UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research. %���� Cooperative Extension, which staffs local offices in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. 1). Although river birches have some susceptibility to aphids, leaf miner and iron chlorosis in high pH soils, these problems are somewhat minor in comparison to the birch borer. Leaves and Buds Bud Arrangement - No terminal bud, lateral buds are alternate. 3 0 obj /Filter /LZWDecode Paper birch, however, is clearly not a substitute for yellow birch and there’s no comparison. Rarely 12 m (40 feet) tall, it is covered almost to the ground with flexible branches that form a narrow, pyramidal crown. Use your browser's Back button if you want to change anything and try again. Pests and Diseases. River Birch cultivars, like most birch, prefer wet sites and do best in moist, acidic, sandy or rocky, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. The tree really has alternate (not opposite) leaves. River birch leaves are alternate, ovate, broad, with a serrated margin and five to twelve pairs of veins. It has a narrow, oval to pyramidal crown when young, spreading wider with age as several branches become dominant. Birches (Betula) - This group of trees is easily recognized by their beautiful bark. For this reason, it is naturally found in riverbanks, streambanks, and floodplains. << Cherry birch is also variously called black birch for its dark, shiny bark, and sweet birch for its wintergreen-smelling twigs. River birch is perhaps the most culturally adaptable and heat tolerant of the birches. No pests or diseases are of major concern. River birch is a fast-growing, deciduous semi-aquatic tree that reaches between 50 and 90 feet in height. 1 0 obj - … Gray birch, also spelled Grey Birch, also called Oldfield Birch, Wire Birch, or Poplar-leaved Birch, (Betula populifolia), slender ornamental tree of the family Betulaceae, found in clusters on moist sites in northeastern North America. %PDF-1.1 Native Americans are known to have used this tree in many different medicinal purposes. Susceptible to leaf miner and scorch, and to leaf spots in wet climates. River birch is widely planted for its appealing, peeling bark and shiny, diamond-shaped leaves. Sap can be fermented to make birch beer. Birds and squirrels eat the male catkins in late winter/early spring. Multi-trunked trees form a more irregular crown and are generally considered to be the superior growth habit for this species. Saplings of this tree are often among the earliest colonizers of newly logged ground in southern New England. Birches are considered a "pioneer" species and, thus, tend to grow quickly when young. Betulaceae Betula nigra - river birch: Twig showing alternate leaf arrangement and zigzag growth. Not recommended for the St. Louis climate. ‘Heritage’ is a very popular river birch cultivar with superior ornamental features to the species Another birch tree grown as much for its peeling bark as for its fall foliage is the paper birch (Betula papyrifera). River birch is best adapted to moist soils and is most likely found in nature on the banks of streams or swampy bottomlands, which are both areas of frequent flooding. Native geographic location and habitat. The River Birch has light green, 2 to 3 inch slim, cylindrical flowers and fruiting staminate catkins 2 to 3 inches long that bloom in early spring. Plants stressed by insects seem more susceptible to cankers. Bud Color - Lustrous, brown-black in color, scales on buds are downy on the edges. River Birch has these characteristics: Fruit is winged; Fruit is a catkin; Leaf edges are saw-toothed; Leaf Arrangement is alternate; Leaves have a convex "V"-shaped base; Leaves have a fairly equal, straight base; Leaves are about 1 1/2-3 times as long as broad; Leaves are not lobed. Small nutlet, about 400,000 seeds per pound, seed is shed in the spring. Some trees may have naturalized in the wild from yards and gardens, but several populations in New England are native, and the species is listed as rare in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The best foliage color occurs in full sun. The river birch is by far the most adaptable birch species for North-South landscapes. Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours), 3b, 3a, 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8b, 8a, 9b, 9a. The bark peels away year-round in tough, paper-like layers that remain on the tree. Bud Size - Lateral buds are ovate, pointed, and 1/4 inch long. Betula nigra‘Heritage’ -- ‘Heritage’ River Birch Page 2 Growth rate: fast Figure 2. About Us: Collections: Education: Events: Support: Links & Resources The bark of a young river birch can vary from having a salmon-pink to brown-gray tint and can be described as having loose layers of curling, paper thin scales. How to Take Care of River Birch Trees. C)���Q$� �v,=��m���Y�QG NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to Betulaceae Betula nigra - river birch: Twig showing alternate leaf arrangement and … Attracts birds & butterflies . These different landscapes … It is the only native birch that does well in low elevations of the south. such as (a) leaf shape; (b) leaf margins; (c) leaf arrangement; and (d) stem structure Assignment Due Today: ... Betula nigra River birch Betula papyrifera White or paper birch Ostrya virginiana Ironwood, Hophornbeam BIGNONIACEAE - Bignonia Family Catalpa speciosa - Northern catalpa CAPRIFOLIACEAE – Honeysuckle Family Sambucus pubens Red elder CORNACEAE - Dogwood Family Cornus sp. Greenish female flowers are followed by drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds that typically mature in late summer. Donald E. Davis Arboretum College of Sciences and Mathematics. /WhitePoint [0.9505 1 1.089] It needs little pruning, but if necessary, you can prune during the dormant season. Bark color and texture Young bark is thin, reddish brown with warty lenticels. As the tree matures, the salmon-pink color is exchanged for a reddish-brown with a dark grey base color. Leaf Feel: Rough Leaf Value To Gardener: Showy Deciduous Leaf Fall Color: Gold/Yellow Leaf Type: Simple Leaf Arrangement: Alternate Leaf Shape: Deltoid Ovate Rhomboidal Leaf Margin: Doubly Serrate Hairs Present: Yes Leaf Length: 1-3 inches Leaf Width: 1-3 inches Leaf Description: The leaf of the River Birch is 2 to 3.5 inches long with modest yellow fall color. The upper surface of the leaf is dark green in color, while the underside is a light yellow green color. Length. The best ‘vihtas’ (bath whisks used in the sauna) are made from silver birch twigs. River birch trees tolerate the summer heat better than paper birch trees, meaning they are better suited to grow in warmer regions. Curly birch (var. Leaves are 0.75 to 2.5 inches wide, pointed, … C-Value: 10 Found in wet, swampy, marsh and bogs in northern Midwest. 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