Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Noted for beautiful, exfoliating bark and multiple trunks, River Birch is an
excellent food source for wildlife, supporting hundreds of species of moths,
butterflies, and songbirds. It is commonly found in the Piedmont and
Coastal Plain of the Mid-Atlantic Region from Pennsylvania to Virginia.
Betula nigra is more disease-free and better adapted to heat than other birches. The foremost cultivar, Betula nigra ‘Cully’ (also sold as HERITAGE®), exfoliates more heavily than the species and other cultivars, with a greater combination of outer bark colors and a light—sometimes almost white—inner bark. As a bonus, it is vigorous and extremely resistant to bronze birch borer. Planted as a lawn or specimen tree or in a naturalized setting, this birch draws attention in all seasons.
Video © 2019 Mary Free
Print Version (Legal Size): Betula nigra (River Birch, Red Birch)
Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: Tried and True Plant Fact Sheets