River birch
Betula nigra
Peeling cinnamon bark and no complaints about wet feet.
Hardiness: zones 4 to 9
Light: full sun
Size: about 50 ft tall, 35 ft wide
From: E. North America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: wildlife, butterfly and moth caterpillars.
Native to: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Great Plains & Texas. Hardy in zones 4 to 9.
The story
River birch is the birch for warm places, native along streams from New England to Florida and Texas. Its bark peels in salmon and cinnamon curls, and it resists the borer that kills white-barked birches in hot summers.
Planting
Sun and moist, acid soil. It takes wet ground and periodic flooding. Clumps of three trunks look best.
Growing
Water in drought, when it drops leaves early. Prune in summer or fall, since it bleeds sap in spring.
Harvest and use
Winter bark, fast shade, and spring seeds for finches. It hosts hundreds of kinds of caterpillars.
What to watch for
Leaves yellow in alkaline soil. Twigs and catkins drop all year.
See if River birch fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home