Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Mexico
Types
-
Cat palm, Date palm, Old Man palm
Number of Varieties
31
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
gardens, Grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-912-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-1
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
H1, H2, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm457.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm365.76 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
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
-
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Long hair-like leaves
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
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
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
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
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bugs, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Mites, Spider Mites
Allergy
Asthma
Blurred vision, Diarrhea, Rash, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification, Shadow Tree
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
-
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
BEAUCARNEA recurvata
Common Name
River Birch
Bottle Palm, Ponytail Palm
In Hindi
River Birch
Ponytail Palm
In German
Fluss Birch
Pferdeschwanz Palm
In French
Birch river
Ponytail Palm
In Spanish
river Birch
Cola de caballo de palma
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
αλογοουρά παλάμη
In Portuguese
river Birch
rabo- de palma
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
kucyk palmowy
In Latin
Betula
ponytail palmarum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Vascular plant
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Asparagales
Family
Betulaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Betula
Beaucarnea
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
310
1
27800
👆🏻