Betula nigra
river birch
River birch grows all the way from southern New Hampshire to
the Texas Gulf Coast. The tree is very heat-tolerant and reaches its
maximum size in rich alluvial soils of the lower Mississippi Valley. River
birch is well named as it loves riparian zones and adapts well to wet sites. The
tree's wood has very little commercial value but river birch is extremely
popular as an ornamental and was selected the Urban Tree of the Year in
2002.
Photos Used by Permission: Steve Nix and
Paul Wray, ForestryImages.org
Start with the Tree Finder if you are not sure what kind of tree you have!
River Birch - Urban Tree of the
Year
(courtesy About Forestry)
River Birch Habitat
and Culture
(silvics courtesy of USFS)
Fire
Effects On River Birch
(courtesy of U.S. Forest Service, Fire Effects)
From Virginia Tech
w/Photos
(Big List courtesy of VT Dendrology)
North American Timber Types
(courtesy About Forestry)
The Great American Hardwood Forest
(courtesy About Forestry)
Recent Champion: 90' height, 100' spread, 188" circumf., Lawrence
County, Tennessee
National Register
of Big Trees
River
Birch Images
(courtesy of ForestryImages.org)
Buy a River
Birch Online
(Nurseries selling seedlings online)
Range Map
-The native range of river birch, USFS.
Quick Stats
Common Names: water birch, black birch
Habitat: Found along rivers and streams
Description: It is the only birch whose range includes the southeastern
coastal plain and is also the only spring-fruiting birch
Uses: Although the wood has limited usefulness, the tree's beauty makes it an
important ornamental
Image
(images courtesy of Steve Nix and About.com)
