BETULA NIGRA
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Photo Credit: River Birch |
Britton & Brown |
| Botanical name: | Betula nigra |
| Common name: | river birch, black birch, water birch |
| Group: | dicot |
| Family: | Betulaceae |
| Growth type: | tree |
| Duration: | perennial, deciduous |
| Origin: | native |
| Plant height: | 40 - 70’ |
| Foliage: | alternate |
| Bark: | exfoliating |
| Range in New Jersey: | statewide |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc. | This birch is readily distinguished from the region’s other birch species, the gray birch (Betula populifola), by its dark, strongly-peeling bark (as opposed to light slightly-peeling bark in gray birch) and diamond-shaped leaves (triangular in gray birch). The fact that it ripens in spring makes it especially valuable to wildlife. New growth is browsed by deer. Seeds are foraged by birds, e.g. wild turkey, quail, grouse, and finches. USDA fact sheet |
| Credit: USDA United States Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service data base |
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