{"slug":"betula-nigra","scientific_name":"Betula nigra","common_names":["River birch","Red birch","Water birch"],"family":"Betulaceae","type":"broadleaf_deciduous","mature_height_m":15,"mature_spread_m":12,"growth_rate":"fast","lifespan_years":null,"hardiness_zones":[4,9],"sun":"full_partial","water":"high","soil":"Moist, acidic, well-drained loam; tolerates flooding; develops iron chlorosis on high-pH limestone soils","native_range":"Eastern United States from New England to Florida, west to Minnesota and east Texas","description":"A fast-growing, usually multi-trunked tree (30-70 feet) with cinnamon-colored bark that peels in papery curls, the only birch that thrives in the hot, humid South. It needs steady moisture and acidic soil, so it is a natural along creeks and in rain gardens but suffers on Austin's dry, alkaline limestone, where it often turns yellow and declines.","care":"Keep the soil consistently moist with soaker hoses and mulch, especially in summer. Prune only in summer after the sap stops flowing, never in late winter. Expect lots of small twig drop and some leaf shedding in drought. Resistant to bronze birch borer; aphids and leaf miners are minor. Treat chlorosis with iron if soil is alkaline, or choose a different tree.","benefits":["fast_canopy","erosion_control","flood_tolerant","wildlife","birds","fall_color"],"uses":["riparian","yard_shade","parks"],"cautions":["heavy_litter","pest_prone"],"image_url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/RiverBirchBark01.JPG","image_credit":"Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons","sources":["https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI","https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BENI","https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/betula-nigra/"],"data_note":null,"updated_at":"2026-11-08T01:00:46.205Z","page_url":"https://treerm.org/trees/betula-nigra","markdown_url":"https://treerm.org/trees/betula-nigra.md","regions":[{"country":"US","region":null,"locality":null,"status":"native","note":"Also native in: CT, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, VT, WI, WV (USDA PLANTS distribution)","source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"AL","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"AR","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"FL","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"GA","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"LA","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"MS","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"NC","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"OK","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"SC","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"TN","locality":null,"status":"native","note":null,"source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"TX","locality":null,"status":"native","note":"Native to east Texas river bottoms; poorly suited to Central Texas alkaline soils","source_url":"https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/BENI"},{"country":"US","region":"CA","locality":"Sacramento","status":"recommended","note":"On the Sacramento Tree Foundation Shady 80 recommended trees list","source_url":"https://sactree.org/best-trees-for-sacramento/"},{"country":"US","region":"DC","locality":"Washington","status":"recommended","note":"On the Casey Trees Tree Rebate eligible species list","source_url":"https://caseytrees.org/rebate"},{"country":"US","region":"GA","locality":"Atlanta","status":"recommended","note":"On the Trees Atlanta Top 50 Atlanta Trees list","source_url":"https://treesatlanta.org/resources/50-atlanta-trees/"},{"country":"US","region":"TX","locality":"Dallas","status":"recommended","note":"On the City of Dallas Article X Approved Tree List","source_url":"https://dallas.gov/departments/sustainabledevelopment/buildinginspection/DCH%20documents/pdf/BI_Approved%20Tree%20List.pdf"}],"license":"CC-BY-4.0"}