Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Needled or Scaled Evergreen
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Northwestern United States, Canada
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
36
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Lowland, Moist Soils, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-7
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
A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Light Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Scale-like imbricate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Hardwood Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of moisture in the growing season, when new, water every week
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
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
Armillaria root rot, Bark beetles
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Asthma
Asthma, contact allergic dermatitis, Urticaria
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Bronchitis, Cold, Cough, Fever, Sore throat
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Branch, Inner Bark, Leaves, Wood
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Dugout canoes, Making deodorants, Medicinal oil, Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods, Used as an insecticide, Used to make baskets
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Feature Plant, Hedges, Screening / Wind Break
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
THUJA plicata
Common Name
River Birch
Giant Arborvitae, Green Giant Arborvitae, Western Arborvitae, Western Red Cedar
In Hindi
River Birch
Pacific redcedar
In German
Fluss Birch
Riesen-Lebensbaum
In French
Birch river
Thuja plicata
In Spanish
river Birch
Thuja plicata
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Thuja plicata
In Portuguese
river Birch
Thuja plicata
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Żywotnik olbrzymi
In Latin
Betula
Thuja plicata
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Pinophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Pinopsida
Order
Fagales
Pinales
Family
Betulaceae
Cupressaceae
Genus
Betula
Thuja
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
315
1
27800
👆🏻