Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
-
Dasylirion acrotrichum, Dasylirion berlandieri, Dasylirion cedrosanum
Number of Varieties
36
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Desert, Dry areas, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-912-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-10
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
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm17.78 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm10.16 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Black
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Leaf Cutting, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Does not require lot of watering, Water occasionally
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
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, Fertilzer with low nitrogen content
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
-
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
DASYLIRION berlandieri
Common Name
River Birch
Blue Giant, Blue Twister, Desert Spoon, Zaragosa
In Hindi
River Birch
Blue Giant Grass
In German
Fluss Birch
Blue Giant Grass
In French
Birch river
Blue Giant Herbe
In Spanish
river Birch
Blue Grass gigante
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Μπλε Giant Grass
In Portuguese
river Birch
Blue Grass gigante
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Błękitny Gigant Trawa
In Latin
Betula
Giant herba blue
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Fagales
Asparagales
Family
Betulaceae
Agavaceae
Genus
Betula
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
322
1
27800
👆🏻