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River Birch

Betula nigra

Found in riverbanks, streambanks, floodplains, sandbars, disturbed uplands. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you

73
Strong

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height
30–70 feet
Spread
40–60 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to April
Fruiting season
May to June

Recorded in 30 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

168CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Betula

Show all 168
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta betulaeBirch Dagger
  • Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
  • Acronicta hastuliferaFrosted Dagger, Hoary Alder Dagger
  • Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
  • Acronicta incretaSouthern Oak Dagger, Eclipsed Oak Dagger, Small Oak Dagger
  • Acronicta lanceolariaNarrow-Winged Dagger, Lanceolate Dagger
  • Acronicta longaLong-Winged Dagger, Darkish Dagger
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
  • Agonopterix argillaceaClay-Colored Agonopterix
  • Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Amorpha juglandisWalnut Sphinx
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Anania tertialisCrowned Anania, Crowned Phlyctaenia
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Ancylis floridanaStrawberry Leafroller
  • Ancylis muricanaRed-Headed Ancylis
  • Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
  • Antaeotricha schlaegeriSchlaeger's Fruitworm Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
  • Besma quercivorariaOak Besma
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Catastega timidellaOak Trumpet Skeletonizer Moth
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Cenopis diluticostanaSpring Dead-Leaf Roller Moth, Oak Cenopis
  • Cenopis directanaChokecherry Leafroller Moth
  • Cenopis niveanaAproned Cenopis Moth
  • Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Cepphis decolorariaDark Scallop Moth
  • Cerastis tenebriferaReddish Speckled Dart
  • Ceratomia amyntorElm Sphinx
  • Charadra deridensThe Laugher
  • Choristoneura conflictanaLarge Aspen Tortrix
  • Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Colocasia flavicornisYellowhorn, Saddled Yellowhorn
  • Cydia latiferreanaFilbertworm
  • Dasychira basiflavaYellow-Based Tussock Moth
  • Dasychira leucophaeaPeppered Tussock Moth
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Elaphria versicolorVariegated Midget
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
  • Euchlaena amoenariaDeep Yellow Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena deductariaForked Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
  • Euchlaena obtusariaObtuse Euchlaena
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Glena cribratariaDotted Gray
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
  • Heterocampa pulvereaWhite-Blotched Heterocampa
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hypena eductalisRed-Footed Bomolocha, Red-footed Snout
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Hypomecis umbrosariaUmber Moth
  • Hypoprepia fucosaPainted Lichen Moth
  • Ianassa lignicolorWhite-Streaked Prominent
  • Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
  • Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
  • Isa textulaCrowned Slug
  • Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
  • Limenitis archippusViceroy
  • Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
  • Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
  • Lochmaeus bilineataDouble-Lined Prominent
  • Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
  • Metanema inatomariaPale Metanema
  • Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
  • Metarranthis pilosariaX
  • Moodna ostrinellaDarker Moodna
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Nemoria bistriariaTwo-Striped Emerald, Red-Fringed Emerald
  • Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
  • Oreta roseaRose Hooktip
  • Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
  • Pachysphinx modestaModest Sphinx, The Big Poplar Sphinx
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
  • Parallelia bistriarisMaple Looper Moth
  • Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
  • Peridea bordeloniBordelon's Peridea
  • Pero ancetariaHubner's Pero
  • Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
  • Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
  • Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
  • Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
  • Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
  • Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
  • Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
  • Pococera aplastellaAspen Webworm Moth
  • Polygonia commaEastern Comma
  • Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Protitame virginalisVirgin Moth
  • Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
  • Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
  • Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
  • Pyreferra pettitiPettit's Sallow
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Rifargia subrotataSmall Heterocampa
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
  • Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
  • Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
  • Thalera pistasciariaPistachio Emerald
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
  • Venusia comptariaBrown-Shaded Carpet
  • Xanthorhoe lacustrataToothed Brown Carpet
  • Zale calycanthataDouble-Banded Zale
  • Zale lunataLunate Zale
  • Zale minereaColorful Zale
  • Acleris placidana
  • Anania extricalis
  • Dichomeris ventrellus
  • Nemapogon variatella
  • Stigmella ostryaefoliella
  • Tulsa finitella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Betula

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
8BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Betula

  • Acanthis flammeaCommon Redpoll
  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
  • Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
  • Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
  • Lagopus mutaRock Ptarmigan
  • Sphyrapicus variusYellow-bellied Sapsucker
  • Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Betulaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow or green
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
May
Fruit ends
June

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Black Birch

Conservation status

Florida rankSNR
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources