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
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River Birch - Urban Tree of the Year
(courtesy About Forestry)
River Birch Habitat and Culture
(silvics courtesy of USFS)
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)
