Taxonomy
| Clade | angiosperm |
|---|
| Family | Betulaceae |
|---|
| Genus | Betula |
|---|
| Species | nigra |
|---|
| Common Name | river birch |
|---|
| iTree Code | BENI |
|---|
Plant Form
| Form | Tree: narrow crown; often multiple trunk |
|---|
| Height | 70 feet |
|---|
| Spread | 40 feet |
|---|
| Deciduous | Yes |
|---|
Identification Description
| Foliage | broad angled base with pointed tip (rhombic or nearly triangular); doubly serrate edge |
Leaf Type
 |
Simple |
|---|
| Bark | very papery and exfoliating with white, brown, salmon colors; becoming dark brown and furrowed or platy with age |
|---|
| Bud | orange/brown, slender and hairy, overlapping scales (imbricate) |
Bud Arrangement
|
Alternate |
|---|
| Twig | brown/gray, slender and flexible, hairy (pubescent); reddish and smooth with age |
|---|
| Flower | catkins; male: performed (year before), drooping, light green; female: shorter and upright, green; male and female on the same tree (monoecious) |
|---|
| Fruit | paper light brown papery "cone" containing small nutlet |
|---|
| Fall Color | yellow |
|---|
Site Characteristics
| USDA Zones
|
pH Levels | Salt Tolerance |
| Min | 3b |
Min | 3.0 |
Soil | Intolerant |
| Max | 8b |
Max | 6.5 |
Spray | Intolerant |
| Shade Tolerance | Drought Tolerance | Allelopathy |
| Intolerant |
Intolerant |
Yes |
