Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tender Perennial
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia
Types
-
-
Number of Varieties
32
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-99-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-10
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, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
White, Red, Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
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, Fertilizer every month during spring, Requires high amount of nitrogen, since leafy plants, use higher nitrogen content fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Aphids, Earwigs, fungus, Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red blotch, Root rot, Scale, Thripes
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antirheumatic, Appetite enhancer, Asthma, Bronchitis, Cold, Headache, Laxative, Muscle Pain, Sore throat, Sweat bullets, Tonsillitis
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers, Root bark
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Culinary use, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
ALPINIA purpurata
Common Name
River Birch
Jungle Queen, Red Ginger
In Hindi
River Birch
लाल अदरक
In German
Fluss Birch
Red Ginger
In French
Birch river
Red Ginger
In Spanish
river Birch
Red Ginger
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Red Ginger
In Portuguese
river Birch
Red Ginger
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Red Ginger
In Latin
Betula
Gingiberi Rubrum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Zingiberales
Family
Betulaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Betula
Alpinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Alpinieae
Subfamily
-
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
350
1
27800
👆🏻