River birch
Betula nigra | Family: Betulaceae
submission: Jonathan Tauro
Identification:
Leaves—glossy green, somewhat triangular, doubly serrated margins, alternate, simple
Twigs—slender and very supple, reddish-brown and smooth to hairy
Flowers—slender, dark brown and green catkins, clustered, drooping
Fruit—cone-like aggregate, hairy, reddish-brown, contains tiny 3-winged seeds
Bark—cinnamon-colored, curls and peels (once mature)
Hover over one of the descriptions to see an example.
Natural History:
General description—Medium size tree reaching up to 70 feet tall. The trunk generally divides low into several upright trunks.
Natural distribution and habitat—Massachusetts to Florida, west to Minnesota, Kansas, and Eastern Texas. This tree is found by large rivers of the coastal plain.
Conservation status—Least Concern (LC)
Uses—Fuel, inexpensive furniture, basket hoops, artificial limbs, toys, and medicine. Sap can be fermented to make birch beer.
References:
- River Birch Tree on the Tree Guide at arborday.org. (n.d.). Www.arborday.org. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/treedetail.cfm?itemID=792
- River Birch | Department of Horticulture. (n.d.). Www.uky.edu. https://www.uky.edu/hort/River-Birch
- Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Dendro.cnre.vt.edu. Retrieved August 3, 2021, from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=13
- Betula nigra (Black Birch, Red Birch, River Birch, Water Birch) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/betula-nigra/
- River Birch, Betula nigra L. (n.d.). Www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org. https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/birch_river.html
- Betula nigra. (2021, August 2). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betula_nigra
- https://garden.org/plants/view/75545/River-Birch-Betula-nigra/
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