Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Asia, Europe, North Africa
Types
-
purple moor-grass 'Moorhexe', variegated purple moor-grass
Number of Varieties
320
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Boggy areas, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Lowland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-94-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
9 - 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
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Dark Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Green, Yellow green, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Tan
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
Late Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Transplanting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Requires regular watering, Water more frequently during periods of extreme drought
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
Average
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 in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
-
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
-
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes, Water gardening
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed
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, Foundation, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
Molinia caerulea
Common Name
River Birch
purple moor-grass
In Hindi
River Birch
बैंगनी दलदल घास
In German
Fluss Birch
Pfeifengras
In French
Birch river
pourpre lande-grass
In Spanish
river Birch
púrpura amarra-hierba
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
μωβ Moor-γρασίδι
In Portuguese
river Birch
purple moor-grass
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
fioletowy Moor-trawa
In Latin
Betula
Maurus herba-purpura,
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Cyperales
Family
Betulaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Betula
Molinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
32
1
27800
👆🏻