River birch - Definition

Betula nigra Trunk, showing bark pattern - Johnsonville, South Carolina

Betula nigra River birch, male blossom - Johnsonville, South Carolina

River birch, Betula nigra, is a common small tree of flood plains or swamps in eastern North America, growing to about 25 meters at most. It is usually too contorted and knotty to be of value as a timber tree.

While its native habitat is wet ground, it will grow on higher land, and its bark is quite distinctive, making it a favored ornamental tree for landscape use. Native Americans used the boiled sap as a sweetener similar to maple syrup, and the inner bark as a survival food.