River Birch Tree Bark

Its attractive bark is especially striking in the winter when the rest of the tree is bare.
River birch tree bark. Dark green foliage turns a beautiful buttery yellow in the fall. The bark is dark red brown to blackish and smooth. The bark of mature trees is scaly and dark red brown to black in color and often resembles the bark of cherry. Betula nigra is a deciduous tree growing to 25 30 meters 80 100 ft with a trunk 50 to 150 centimeters 20 to 60 in in diameter.
The bark of river birch changes with age of the tree. The river birch is a large deciduous tree typically growing to 40 to 70 feet tall but may grow as high as 90 feet. But as a landscape tree it can be planted almost anywhere in the u s. River birch is a fast growing deciduous semi aquatic tree that reaches between 50 and 90 feet in height.
Its bark is usually dark gray brown to pinkish brown and scaly. Keep reading to learn more river birch tree facts such as river birch tree care and effectively using river birch trees in the landscape of your home. Other common names for this tree include western birch red birch river birch black birch and western red birch. The bark of the river birch is very distinctive thus making it a favored ornamental tree for landscape uses.
River birch is a popular fast growing native tree for the home landscape. The river birch betula nigra or water birch is native to the eastern and southern united states and is a deciduous tree commonly found in the flood plains and swamp areas. This native birch grows at a medium to rapid rate 30 to 40 feet over a 20 year period. Its diamond shaped double toothed leaves produce an erect or spreading canopy that covers.
Attractive salmon pink to reddish brown bark exfoliates to reveal lighter inner bark. As its name suggests the river birch naturally grows along riverbanks. Unlike other birch trees its bark does not peel. The average tree spread may be as much as 40 to 60 feet.
As a landscape plant it is grown as a single stem tree or in a clump as a multi stemmed tree with three or more trunks. When young the bark flakes into thin papery pieces that are first orange and white and later orange brown in color. This tree is a source of food and lodge material for the common north american beaver. River birch is the most widely distributed birch in iowa.
Bark characteristics of the river birch differ during its youth stage maturation and old growth. The river birch is a popular tree for river banks and wet parts of the garden. This species is resistant to bronze birch borer bbb.