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Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Sweet Birch, also known as Black or Cherry Birch, finds a home* on the cool north and east slopes of mountain woods. It shows off in fall with its golden-yellow color–among the best of the birches–and in winter with the sheen of its young bark. Its fragrant foliage and twigs were historically a source of wintergreen flavoring.
*It is not reported in DC. It is common in DE. It is scattered throughout PA. In VA, it is common in the mountains, infrequent in the Piedmont, and rare in the Coastal Plain. It is native in NoVA except in Prince William County.
Do you recognize the word samara as the name of the fruit of this tree?
Learn more about Betula lenta and about samaras…