Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Southeastern Asia
Types
-
alpine shootingstar , Jewelled shootingstar , Sierran shootingstar , broad-leaved shootingstar , Frigid Shootingstar
Number of Varieties
317
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Floodplains, open Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-910-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
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
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
White, Pink, Salmon, Coral
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Red, Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Gray Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Gray Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Gray Green, Dark Green, Burgundy
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Ovate elongated
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Prune after flowering, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Aphids, Fungal leaf spots
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
Runny nose, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Mixed Border, small hedge
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
-
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Screening, Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
CLERODENDRUM quadriloculare
Common Name
River Birch
American cowslip , mosquito bills , mad violets , sailor caps
In Hindi
River Birch
shooting star
In German
Fluss Birch
shooting star
In French
Birch river
Dodecatheon
In Spanish
river Birch
Dodecatheon
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
shooting star
In Portuguese
river Birch
Dodecatheon
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
shooting star
In Latin
Betula
shooting star
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Primulales
Family
Betulaceae
Verbenaceae
Genus
Betula
Dodecatheon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
317
1
27800
👆🏻