Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Types
-
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
10-15
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, 13, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Twisted/Contorted
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
Crimson, Copper
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Compound
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
occasional watering once established
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
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
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
Drought
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Attracts
-
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
BURSERA simaruba
Common Name
River Birch
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
In Hindi
River Birch
Bursera simaruba
In German
Fluss Birch
Bursera simaruba
In French
Birch river
Bursera simaruba
In Spanish
river Birch
Bursera simaruba
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Bursera simaruba
In Portuguese
river Birch
Bursera simaruba
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Bursera simaruba
In Latin
Betula
Bursera simaruba
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Family
Betulaceae
Burseraceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Eudicots
Importance of River Birch and Gumbo Limbo
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of River Birch and Gumbo Limbo. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare River Birch and Gumbo Limbo as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of River Birch is whereas of Gumbo Limbo is Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and Headache. River Birch has beauty benefits as follows: while Gumbo Limbo has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of River Birch vs Gumbo Limbo
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of River Birch vs Gumbo Limbo and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of River Birch are Asthma whereas of Gumbo Limbo have allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. River Birch has no showy fruits and Gumbo Limbo has showy fruits. Also River Birch is not flowering and Gumbo Limbo is not flowering . You can compare River Birch and Gumbo Limbo facts and facts of other plants too.