Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-9
-9999
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, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Weeping
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
-
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Succulent
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial shade
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
-
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flower Petal Number
-
Semi-Double
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Fruits, Nut
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
Selenicereus pteranthus
Common Name
River Birch
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
In Hindi
River Birch
moonlight cactus
In German
Fluss Birch
Selenicereus
In French
Birch river
Selenicereus
In Spanish
river Birch
Selenicereus
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Selenicereus
In Portuguese
river Birch
Selenicereus
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Selenicereus
In Latin
Betula
moonlight cactus
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Betulaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Betula
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Importance of River Birch and Moonlight cactus
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of River Birch and Moonlight cactus. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare River Birch and Moonlight cactus 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 Moonlight cactus is . River Birch has beauty benefits as follows: while Moonlight cactus has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of River Birch vs Moonlight cactus
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 Moonlight cactus 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 Moonlight cactus have Itchiness respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. River Birch has no showy fruits and Moonlight cactus has showy fruits. Also River Birch is not flowering and Moonlight cactus is flowering. You can compare River Birch and Moonlight cactus facts and facts of other plants too.