Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Broadleaf Evergreen
Tree
Origin
North America, Europe, Asia
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Andromeda polifolia var. polifolia, Andromeda polifolia var. glaucophylla
-
Number of Varieties
23
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Bog Garden, Fens, Swamps
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
2-64-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
9-1
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
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
33.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
46.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Pink, Light Pink
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Gray Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Gray Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
Gray Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do not let dry out between waterings, Keep ground moist
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Average Water, Ample Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Ample Water
Moderate
In Winter
Not so frequently
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune for size control, Remove short twigs
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
fertilize in spring
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
-
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
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
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
pollinators
-
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
-
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Whole plant
Other Uses
As a tea substitute
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
ANDROMEDA polifolia
BETULA nigra
Common Name
Bog Rosemary
River Birch
In Hindi
Bog Rosemary
River Birch
In German
Rosmarinheide
Fluss Birch
In French
Andromeda polifolia
Birch river
In Spanish
Andromeda polifolia
river Birch
In Greek
Bog Rosemary
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Bog Rosemary
river Birch
In Polish
Modrzewnica zwyczajna
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
Bog Rosemary
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Ericales
Fagales
Family
Ericaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Andromeda
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Vaccinioideae
-
Number of Species
23
1
27800
👆🏻