Choose birch by habit: a river birch, a white-bark tree, or a dwarf shrub. Match the bark and the mature size on the tag to the site you have.
Choose a river birch, a white-bark tree, or a dwarf shrub
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| River birch | Hot, humid summers and moist to wet acid ground | Expecting paper-white bark on a young tree |
| White-bark tree | Cool summers and even moisture | A hot, dry lawn that stresses paper or Himalayan birch |
| Dwarf shrub | A low nana or bog birch for a small bed | Expecting it to become a shade tree |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of betula that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Read the bark and the mature size on the tag. Birches share moist acid ground and cool roots. The choice is heat, bark color, and outline. [1] [2] Himalayan and European white-bark kinds are the most prone to bronze birch borer when they sit in heat. [3] A compact river birch stays a small tree. The species river birch does not. [4]
What is the difference between a river birch, a white-bark tree, and a dwarf shrub?
River birch takes heat and has cinnamon to salmon bark. White-bark kinds want cool summers. Dwarf birch is a shrub, not a landscape tree.
Browse by kind
River birch
river birch is the heat-tolerant native with cinnamon to salmon peeling bark. Little King stays a compact river birch. Heritage is the large Heritage selection of the same species.
White-bark trees
paper birch is the classic white peeling bark for cool summers. silver birch is the European white birch. Doorenbos is a Himalayan white-bark selection. These want cooler summers than river birch.
Colored-bark trees
Red Panda is copper-pink Chinese red birch. yellow birch has bronze-gold bark and a wintergreen scent in the twigs. Erman's and sweet birch sit here too.
Dwarf shrubs
dwarf birch is a low arctic shrub. bog birch is a wetland shrub. Neither is a 50-foot shade tree.
Culture stays the same moist acid and cool roots. Pick by bark and size, not by a shop list of extra names.
Not aspen — and not alder
Birch bark peels in papery sheets and shows horizontal lenticels. Aspen bark is smoother and does not peel that way; aspen leaves flutter on flattened stems. Alder keeps small woody cones on the twigs after the catkins. A tag that says only “white bark” is not enough; read the Latin.
How do I tell birch from aspen or alder?
Peeling papery bark and catkins that break apart point to birch. Aspen leaves flutter and the bark does not peel in paper sheets. Alder holds woody cone-like fruit.
If the tag says aspen or alder, read the Latin before you plant.
FAQ
Is Heritage the same as Cully?
Yes. Heritage river birch is the 'Cully' selection. It is still Betula nigra, not a paper birch.
Is a clump birch a different species?
No. Clump or multi-trunk is a nursery form. River birch is often sold that way so more bark shows.
Do you list Dura-Heat or Whitespire?
No. Those nursery names are not in this catalog. A heat-fit river birch still wants moist acid ground.
Related guides
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/betula-nigra/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/betula-papyrifera/ - [3] The Morton Arboretum -
https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/bronze-birch-borer/ - [4] Clemson Cooperative Extension -
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/river-birch/
This note is part of Betula Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors