Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Vines
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Africa, South America, Southeast Asia
Types
-
Oriental Bittersweet, American Bittersweet
Number of Varieties
350
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
All sorts of environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
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, H2, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm3,050.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Light Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Light Yellow, Red
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
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Round with toothed margin
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Do not water frequently
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
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 dead branches
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Leaf rust, Thripes
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought, Sun
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Fruit Bats, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma
Chest Pain, Inflammation, Skin rash, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bouquets
Beauty Benefits
-
For treating wrinkles, Skin cleanser
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Food for birds, Suppresses or replaces native plants
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antispasmodic
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Seeds
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Application in Handicrafts, Used as a nemiticide, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
Celastrus orbiculatus
Common Name
River Birch
Oriental bittersweet, Asian bittersweet
In Hindi
River Birch
Asian bittersweet
In German
Fluss Birch
Rundblättriger Baumwürger
In French
Birch river
Asian bittersweet
In Spanish
river Birch
Asian bittersweet
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Asian bittersweet
In Portuguese
river Birch
Asian bittersweet
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Dławisz okrągłolistny
In Latin
Betula
Asian bittersweet
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Celastrales
Family
Betulaceae
Celastraceae
Genus
Betula
Celastrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Celastroideae
Number of Species
340
1
27800
👆🏻