top of page

River Birch Trees: No River Required

Versatile, supports over 400 species of insects and gorgeous.

three trees in fall
A Trio of Mature River Birches

A walk I occasionally take leads me by a driveway gracefully curving toward a trio of stunning river birches (Betula nigra). Three mature trees create a shady grove by the front door of the home. Planted in a triangle, they create a magical scene of papery tree trunks. These are planted about 12 feet apart and growing together, they accommodate each other, as most trees will. Thanks to Mo for answering the door and allowing me to take photos of her beautiful trees!


River Birch Details

River birches grow naturally in flood plains, along stream and river banks and in other moist areas. In a garden setting, they tolerate a wide range of conditions and can grow well in average soils. River birches are tall trees, growing 40 to 70 feet high and about 30 feet wide. You can find river birches in single and multi-trunk forms. The single trunk trees tend to grow taller. The multi-trunk tree stays nearer the shorter end of the height range. These trees grow in full sun and part shade. River birches are also fairly fast growing, sometimes growing three to four feet a year.


Siting River Birches

young tree
Newly Planted River Birch

Without a doubt, the most commented upon tree in my small garden is a river birch, planted as a 1" caliper tree two years ago. The small, three stemmed tree stands out in winter thanks to the bark. In summer and fall the small leaves contrast with other nearby trees and flutter in the lightest breeze.


This tree has grown about 6 feet in two years and is now reaching for sunlight. It is planted about 10 feet away from a very mature red oak tree, whose demise I incorrectly predicted. I thought the red oak, growing at quite the angle over the street would have to be removed for safety reasons. A city arborist advised the oak is only growing that way because it likely once competed with other trees for sun and, in fact, the tree is in good health. That leaves this river birch in somewhat of an understory position so we'll see how it does!

green tree
River Birch

This multi stemmed river birch was planted as a very young tree too close to the foundation of the house and had to be removed. Usually, if you have a tree that grows 30 feet wide, you would plant it 15' from the nearest obstacle such as a home or wall. If you are planting a trio of river birches you can probably scooch them a bit closer to each other and they will adjust accordingly.


tree in fall
River Birch

This multi stemmed river birch is planted near several mature oaks and yellow pines to the right and, as a result, is growing away from those and towards the light. A graceful tree for sure but probably would be even more lovely if growing straight up and not competing for light with mature trees.


These examples are all a way of saying to choose your spot for a river birch with growth in mind!


Winter Interest


The river birches ability to support all of those insects is fantastic for nature and the winter interest is the gardener's bonus. Limb up the the trees and the bark is eye catching no matter the age of the river birch. It's such a great add if you want to create more winter interest in your garden.


River birches are widely available at garden centers and native plant nurseries. You can plant a tree on the smaller side and start enjoying that bark right away. Fairly quickly, your river birch will be growing a canopy of beauty. If you have room for three, so much the better!


Happy Gardening.











4 Comments



More than 400 species of insects, wow! They are beautiful trees, for sure, and we have some around here, too. Winter interest, for sure. Love the bark!

Beth @ PlantPostings.com

Like

Elisa
Nov 07

Many years ago my husband and I planted a river birch in our front yard to commemorate our wedding anniversary. I had vague knowledge of it's wildlife benefits but I chose it for it's year-round beauty and the dappled shade it would cast over the ground during the hot days of summer. I no longer live in the house where that river birch still grows, but I now have a far greater appreciation for the benefits of native species. One of my projects this weekend is to plant a group of small river birch saplings near the pond where I now live. I always look forward to your blog posts but, for me, this most recent one about the river…

Like
Replying to

Elisa - thanks so much for sharing this! One of the great things about native plants, as you recognized long ago, is, if for no other reason, they are just beautiful! They create a sense of unique place ... not to mention all of those wildlife benefits. Love those weekend plans!!!

Like

We want you to be as excited about planting Chesapeake natives as we are. “Plant This or That” gives you a native alternative to popular plants. Other posts highlight really fabulous fauna native to the Chesapeake.

Nuts for Natives, avid gardener, Baltimore City admirer, Chesapeake Bay Watershed restoration enthusiast, and public service fan.

bottom of page