Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Southwestern United States
Types
-
Muhlenbergia rigens, Muhlenbergia emersleyi
Number of Varieties
35
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-97-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12 - 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
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
-
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
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Requires watering in the growing season, 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
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, 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
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
fertilize in spring
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought, Heat Tolerance
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
Medium
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds, Deers, Insects
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Food for animals, Nesting sites for birds, Shelter for wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Sore throat
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves, Root
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Can be made into a herbal tea, Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
MUHLENBERGIA rigens
Common Name
River Birch
Deer Grass
In Hindi
River Birch
हिरण घास
In German
Fluss Birch
Deer Grass
In French
Birch river
cerfs Herbe
In Spanish
river Birch
Ciervo Hierba
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
ελάφια Grass
In Portuguese
river Birch
cervos grama
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Deer Trawa
In Latin
Betula
deer Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Anthophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Poales
Family
Betulaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Betula
Muhlenbergia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Chloridoideae
Number of Species
340
1
27800
👆🏻