Betula nigra

River birch is a member of the birch or Betulaceae family and is native to much of the eastern United States from New Hampshire and southern Minnesota south all the way to northern Florida and west to Texas. It is one of the few heat-tolerant birches. It grows up to 30 m tall.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, ovate, up to 8 cm long and 6 cm broad , double-tooth serrated, tapered at the base, pointed at the tip.
• Species is monoecious; male catkins are pendulous up to 7 cm long, falling off in late spring; cone-like female catkins are reddish-green, erect, up to 1.3 cm long, maturing in the fall up to 4 cm long, with reddish brown, hairy scales, ripening and breaking apart by early winter.
• Bark is pink-brown, prolifically peeling horizontally in curly papery sheets.