A pretty tree, but tremendously overplanted in the eastern US. Heritage---the cultivar name is 'Cully'---is supposed to have lighter bark...Read More color than the species, though I see little difference. But it also lacks the lovely weeping habit of the species.
For decades, it has been promoted as a borer-resistant replacement for our native paper birch, which is susceptible to bronze birch borer and short-lived. And it is longer-lived and more heat tolerant than paper birch.
But river birch has aggressive, competitive roots like a maple, which makes it difficult to garden under. Worse, it's a dirty tree that drops leaves and small branches continually, almost like a weeping willow. I often see it planted too close to buildings, where it quickly outgrows its space---it easily reaches 70', and the national champion is 111' tall.
A certain Mr Cully took buds from a special River Birch, with permission from a homeowner, in southwest Illinois and propagated them. I m...Read Moreet him once in 1975 as he taught Dr Mike Dirr's woody plant class one time. Wonderful bark! I planted two in my front yard in se PA as 10 ft B&B multitrunked trees and they grew about 2 ft/yr to about 35 ft high from 2002 to 2012. Like the mother species, they do drop a lot of dead twigs much of the year and some leaves in summer.
West Friendship, MD (Zone 6b) | January 2009 | positive
Beautiful tree that provides dappled shade to underplantings. A backdrop of evergreens will really show off the bark in winter. Very fa...Read Morest growing. It doesn't pay to spend a fortune on large 12' trees (like I did) - buy the small 6 footers and within 3 years you won't be able to tell the difference! We only water during prolonged drought.
Our neighbor lost their paper birches 3 years ago to borer. No problems with our 5 Heritage. Cicadas, however, inflict very serious damage.
Limbing up the tree to head height and not allowing downward branches to remain allows the gorgeous bark to show year-round. Oh, okay, a...Read Morend allows for underplanting, too!
Love the tree's dappled shade, the bark's shaggy, gorgeous colors, and the way leaves flutter in the wind, not to mention the lack of mess in Fall when the smallish leaves drop. What's not to love about this beauty?
Oklahoma City, OK (Zone 7a) | January 2005 | neutral
This cultivar grows best in full sun to partial shade and in soil that is relatively moist. It does not tolerate drought conditions at a...Read Morell. Bark is very attractive - both in coloration, which is lighter than other cultivars and in that it peels and scrolls. The tree shape is mostly oval and foliage is not particularly dense. It is native to the U.S. Usually the tree produces multiple trunks. Great specimen tree.
A pretty tree, but tremendously overplanted in the eastern US. Heritage---the cultivar name is 'Cully'---is supposed to have lighter bark...Read More
A certain Mr Cully took buds from a special River Birch, with permission from a homeowner, in southwest Illinois and propagated them. I m...Read More
I did love this tree until borers got into it last year. I love the look of the tree, and the peeling bark.
Editor's Note
Plant Patent number 4409 has expired
Beautiful tree that provides dappled shade to underplantings. A backdrop of evergreens will really show off the bark in winter. Very fa...Read More
Limbing up the tree to head height and not allowing downward branches to remain allows the gorgeous bark to show year-round. Oh, okay, a...Read More
This cultivar grows best in full sun to partial shade and in soil that is relatively moist. It does not tolerate drought conditions at a...Read More