Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Fruit, Shrub
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
South America
Types
-
V. × heilbornii
Number of Varieties
30
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
11-9
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, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
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
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular 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
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, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
-
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used in making champagne
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Common Name
River Birch
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
In Hindi
River Birch
Babaco
In German
Fluss Birch
Babaco
In French
Birch river
Babaco
In Spanish
river Birch
Babaco
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Babaco
In Portuguese
river Birch
Babaco
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Babaco
In Latin
Betula
Babaco
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Brassicales
Family
Betulaceae
Caricaceae
Genus
Betula
Vasconcellea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
31
1
27800
👆🏻