Selecting Trees for Your Home - River Birch (Betula nigra)

University of Illinois Extension - Selecting Trees for Your Home
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/treeselector

River Birch
Betula nigra

3 pictures total.

River Birch form

Size:

Small

Medium

Large

Exposure/ Light Requirements:

Full Shade

Full Sun

Partial Sun/Shade

Pests and Problems:

Animal Damage

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)

Environmental Damage

Fungal Disease

Wood Rots and Decays (Many genus and species involved)

Insect Damage

Insect Relative Damage

Twospotted Spidermite [Ornamentals] (Tetranychus urticae)

Leaf miners are a potential problem.Highly resistant to bronze birch borers.One of the most trouble free birches. Iron chlorosis (yellowing) can be a problem when the soil pH is too alkaline.

Hardiness Zone:	4 - 8 [Find Your Zone]
Mature Height:	40-70 Feet
Features:	Strongly peeling bark in shades of cream, cinnamon brown and red brown; yellow fall color.
Culture:	Full sun or partial shade; best in soils that are moist but well drained with a slightly acid pH; can tolerate sites that are wet from time to time; does not respond well to drought.
Cultivars:	'Heritage'-excellent bark coloration, lighter in color than the species (more shades of cream and salmon). 'Little King' (Fox Valley™)-a dwarf form (15-20 feet tall) with good peeling bark.
Mature Form:	Oval to rounded, usually multi-trunked
Native To:	United States (southern Illinois)
Soil Conditions:	Dry Moist, Well-Drained Wet
Tolerance:	Alkaline Soil Dry Sites Salt Soil Compaction Wet Sites Wind
Uses:	Massing Patio Screen Shade Specimen Street Wind Break
Foliage Color:	Green
Fall Foliage Color:	Yellow
Additional Notes: