Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Broadleaf Evergreen, Grass
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Mexico
Types
-
Otatea acuminata ssp. acuminata, Otatea acuminata ssp. aztecorum, Otatea acuminata 'Dwarf'
Number of Varieties
320
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Subtropical climates, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
10 - 7
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, 9, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm30.00 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, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Yellow 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
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Never Over-water
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
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Prune every year, Prune to control growth, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Aphids, Mealybugs
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
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
-
Mealybugs
Allergy
Asthma
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Whole plant
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
OTATEA acuminata
Common Name
River Birch
Clumping Bamboo, Mexican Weeping Bamboo
In Hindi
River Birch
मैक्सिकन बांस
In German
Fluss Birch
Mexican Bambus
In French
Birch river
Bamboo mexicaine
In Spanish
river Birch
bambú mexicana
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Μεξικού μπαμπού
In Portuguese
river Birch
Bamboo Mexican
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Mexican Bamboo
In Latin
Betula
Mexicanus Bamboo
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Fagales
Poales
Family
Betulaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Betula
Otatea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
355
1
27800
👆🏻