FNPS Plant Database

Betula nigra

river birch

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

river birch

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Betula nigra

Family:

Betulaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

50-80 ft tall by to 40 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

green,NA

Fruit Color:

NA

Phenology:

Deciduous. Inconspicuos blooms in spring. Moderately long-lived.

Noted For:

Hurricane Wind Resistance, Fall Color, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant located where the salmon-colored shaggy bark can be seen. Use for shoreline erosion control. Has been used for mine reclamation due to its tolerance of acidic soils.

Considerations:

Although native to floodplains, it is not tolerant of extended periods of flooding.

Availability:

Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed. Naturally transported by wind and water.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Stays wet ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Ph 6.5 and lower

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Birds, Mammals

Larval host for Mourning Cloak and Dreamy Duskywing butterflies

Birds and small mammals consume seed. 

Native Habitats:

River floodplains

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Cut as pulpwood. Has been used for cabinetry where fine or strong wood is not needed.

General Comments:

Noted for its shaggy, peeling salmon-colored bark. The natural form is a single-trunked tree, but multi-trunked cultivars are common. Southernmost birch in the US.

Citations:

Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H.; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). 



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



University of Tennessee Extension Service.  Desired Ph Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants.    https://extension.tennessee.edu/mtnpi/Documents/handouts/Fertility/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf   accessed 2021.



Watkins, John and Thomas Sheehan.  1975.  Florida Landscapt Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville. (light, soil, salt)



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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