Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada, Mexico
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
34
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
meadows, Prairies, Riverbanks, Roadsides, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-92-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
7 - 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
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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm38.10 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm152.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Blue Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, 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, Do Not over Water, Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
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
-
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification, Food for animals, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Decoration Purposes, Food for animals
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
ANDROPOGON gerardii
Common Name
River Birch
Big Bluestem, Turkey Foot
In Hindi
River Birch
Big Bluestem grass
In German
Fluss Birch
Große Bartgras
In French
Birch river
Barbon de Gérard herbe
In Spanish
river Birch
hierba andropogon grande
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Big BLUESTEM γρασίδι
In Portuguese
river Birch
Vetiver grande grama
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Big Bluestem trawa
In Latin
Betula
Big bluestem herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lillosida
Order
Fagales
Poaceae
Family
Betulaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Betula
Andropogon
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
3150
1
27800
👆🏻