Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
North America, United States, Northwestern United States, Alaska, California, Canada
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
303
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Lowland evergreen rainforest
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-74-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-1
9-1
Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Pyramidal
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,370.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Red, Coral
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Layering, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Maritime exposure, Salt water
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Skin Problems
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shadow Tree
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anodyne, Appetizer, Astringent
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Inner Bark, Sap
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used as a dye, used for making charcoal, Used for making informal hedge
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
ALNUS rubra
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Oregon Alder, Red Alder
River Birch
In Hindi
red alder
River Birch
In German
rot-Erle
Fluss Birch
In French
aulne rouge
Birch river
In Spanish
aliso rojo
river Birch
In Greek
κόκκινη σκλήθρα
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
amieiro vermelho
river Birch
In Polish
czerwony olcha
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
red alnus
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Fagales
Family
Betulaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Alnus
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
353
1
27800
👆🏻