Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Herbaceous Perennial
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
China, Japan, Korea
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
315
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Dappled Shade, meadows, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-95-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
9-4
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
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Water once every two or three weeks
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
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Remove the old foliage
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Use a fertilizer ratio of 16-4-8
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
-
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
-
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bog Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiasthamatic, Antispasmodic, Expectorant, Poultice
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Stem
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Can be boiled and seasoned, pickled, Used as umbrellas by Japanese children, Used as walking sticks, Used like rhubarb
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
PETASITES japonicus
Common Name
River Birch
Giant Butterbur, Japanese Butterbur
In Hindi
River Birch
Giant Butterbur
In German
Fluss Birch
Riesen Pestwurz
In French
Birch river
géant Butterbur
In Spanish
river Birch
gigante petasita
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Giant Butterbur
In Portuguese
river Birch
Carrapicho gigante
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Giant Lepiężnik
In Latin
Betula
Giant Butterbur
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Asterales
Family
Betulaceae
Asteraceae
Genus
Betula
Petasites
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Senecioneae
Subfamily
-
Asteroideae
Number of Species
31
1
27800
👆🏻