1. Botanical Name
BETULA NIGRA

2. PRONUNCIATION
BET - you - lah NY - grah

3. Common Name
River Birch

5. Family
BETULACEAE

6. Life Cycle
Deciduous perennial

7. Tree, standard or multi-trunked
Growth Habit
Tree, standard or multi-trunked

8. Plant
HEIGHT ’
WIDTH ’
UPRIGHT

9. ARRANGEMENT
ALTERNATE

10. Leaf
Elliptical
Length 3” to 5”
Width 1 1/2” to 3”

11. Margin
SERRATED

12. Veins
PINNATE

13. COMPOSITION
SIMPLE

14. Flower
MONECIOUS
Catkin

16. Fruit
Spring
Small cone

17. Exposure
PART SHADE

18. Growth
RAPID

19. Use
SPECIMEN

20. Description
On branches 2” or more, bark exfoliates into papery plates exposing the inner bark

22. Description Leaves have sharpe tips
Cultivars: ‘Heritage’ has larger leaves and tan bark

24. Cultural Practices
Likes moist soils

25. Problems
May get too large for landscape space

26. Zones
4 - 8

27. Native of
Eastern USA