Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
India, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea
Types
-
Cornus controversa
Number of Varieties
31
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
8-1
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
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm1,070.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Burgundy, Dark Blue, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Light Yellow, Burgundy, Dark Red
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Requires regular watering during dry weather
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
Clay, Loam
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
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Bacterial leaf spot, Canker, Powdery mildew
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
-
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Used in parkland
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiphlogistic
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Oil used in the lubricating and soap industry
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
CORNUS controversa
Common Name
River Birch
Giant Dogwood, Wedding Cake Tree
In Hindi
River Birch
Wedding Cake Tree
In German
Fluss Birch
Hochzeitstorte Baum
In French
Birch river
Gâteau de mariage Arbre
In Spanish
river Birch
Pastel de bodas del árbol
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Γαμήλια τούρτα Δέντρο
In Portuguese
river Birch
Árvore do bolo de casamento
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Wedding Cake Drzewo
In Latin
Betula
MUSTACEUM ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Cornales
Family
Betulaceae
Cornaceae
Genus
Betula
Cornus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cornoideae
Number of Species
33
1
27800
👆🏻