TREE: Betula nigra (River Birch, Red Birch)

Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic

Noted for beautiful, exfoliating bark, River Birch is an excellent food source for wildlife, supporting hundreds of species of butterflies, moths, and songbirds. It is commonly found in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of the Mid-Atlantic Region from Pennsylvania to Virginia.

Learn more about Betula nigra.

Betula nigra (river birch) is usually a multi-stemmed tree.

Betula nigra (river birch) at Green Spring Gardens in March

Horizontal lenticels become conspicuous when the bark peels from the trunk of this native Betula nigra

River birch has many layers of salmon-pink to reddish-brown papery bark.

Small racemose clusters of male catkins of native Betula nigra

The erect pistillate catkins of Betula nigra (river birch) have 1–3 flowers per bract. Male catkins are pendulous.

Aggregated samaras of native Betula nigra

A large rain garden in July with Betula nigra trees, shrubs, grasses, and perennials.

Alternate, simple, pinnatelyveined leaf of Betula nigra (river birch) with doubly-serrate margins with each tooth bearing smaller teeth in August.

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