Cottagekaren's Garden
Betula nigra ‘Black Star’
Common Name: River Birch, Red Birch
Latin Name: Betula nigra
Soil: Medium moisture, well-drained. Acid, alkaline or neutral.
Position: Full sun to part shade.
Flowering period/colour: Spring
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Eventual height/spread: 12m/8m
Special features: Cinnamon coloured bark that peels and flakes to reveal creamy layers underneath.
The ‘River birch’ is an American native: this fantastic tree is fully hardy and offers a changing interest throughout the seasons. In spring, green catkins appear and these mature to yellow and then brown. The fresh spring leaves emerge a rich green and hold their colour until autumn, when they turn yellow before falling. The leaves are of the classic betula ‘diamond shape’. The bark is by far the most distinctive feature of this tree as it peels and flakes in layers: the outer layers are a reddish-cinnamon colour and the inner layers are creamy golden colour.
