Betula nigra
River Birch







One of the best trees for planting in wet areas. Has a strong, pyramidal form. Has peeling bark that on younger trees is pink to orange-brown and reveals lighter, cream-white bark when peeling. On older trees the bark is red to grey-brown developing to almost black. Glossy, green leaves are glaucous underneath. They turn bright-yellow in autumn.
Stem | Foliage | Flowers | Fruit | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer |
|
|
|
|
Autumn |
|
|
|
|
Winter |
|
|
|
|
Spring |
|
|
|
|
10 Year Size
Family: Betulaceae, birch family, a family of mostly Northern Hemisphere deciduous trees and shrubs. Learn more about Betulaceae.
Genus: Betula, betula (Latin, noun), meaning 'birch tree'. Commonly known as birch, a genus of deciduous trees and shrubs. Learn more about Betula.
Species: Betula nigra, nigrā (Latin, adjective), meaning 'black, dark', in reference to the colour of the bark on mature trees of this species of this species. Learn more about Betula nigra.
Common Name: River Birch
Other Common Name(s): Black Birch, Water Birch