This area has a boat ramp and provides boat launch access to the Blackwater River.
Camping is not allowed on the area.
Camping is not allowed on the area.
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Scientific Name
Betula nigra
Family
Betulaceae (birches)
Description
River birch is a native tree easily identified by its reddish, papery, peeling bark. It is a popular landscaping tree, where many-stemmed groupings are planted in moist places in yards and along streams and ponds.
River birch is a medium-sized tree with an irregular, broad, spreading crown. It often has multiple trunks.
Leaves are alternate, simple, somewhat triangular to egg-shaped, 1½–3½ inches long, 1–2 inches wide; margins densely toothed; upper surface shiny dark green, lower surface whitish, very hairy.
Bark is distinctive: reddish-brown or grayish, peeling into conspicuous papery strips exposing a light pinkish-tan or cinnamon-brown inner bark; the pores are elongated.
Twigs on new growth are very hairy, gradually turning smooth; in the second year, they are dark red, slender, shiny, and dull reddish brown.
Flowering is in April–May, male catkins are formed the year before, becoming 1–3½ inches long; female catkins are formed from buds of the previous year, about ½ inch long, upright; flowering occurs as the leaves appear; the catkins are wind-pollinated.
Fruits mature in May–June; they are barrel-shaped, 1½ inches long, ½ inch wide, with the nutlet about ⅛ inch long.
Similar species: River birch is the only birch species (genus Betula) native to Missouri, and it is the only one that grows on its own (out of cultivation) in our state. The reddish, paper, peeling bark and multiple-trunk habit help you ID it at a glance.
Globally, there are about 35 species in the genus. One is the famous paper birch (also called white birch or canoe birch, Betula papyrifera) that is common in northern North America. It grows in Canada, the northern Rockies, the North Woods and upper Great Lakes region, and New England. You might see people trying to grow it as an ornamental in Missouri, but it is not suited to our climate. Our summers are too hot and humid for it, our soils dry out too much, and our winters lack the sustained snow cover it enjoys in more northern latitudes. The climatic stresses it endures in Missouri open it to insect damage doom it to short lifespans here.
Size
Height: to 80 feet.
Where To Find
Scattered to common nearly statewide.
Habitat and Conservation
Naturally occurs on banks of streams and rivers, margins of ponds and lakes, and bottomland forests.
It is also commonly used in landscaping; see Human Connections.
River birch is intolerant of competition. When shaded, it stagnates and dies. It does not tolerate prolonged flooding and is not found on broad river bottoms of big rivers that are subject to flooding.
River birch is the only spring seed-dispersing member of its family.
Status
Our only native birch. It is commonly used in landscaping and erosion control.
Human Connections
River birch, with its slender, often leaning or twisting trunks and pendant masses of foliage, give it a graceful appearance. It is a longtime favorite of landscapers, who commonly plant it in groupings in yards, especially in places with damp, poorly drained soil. It is often planted along streams and ponds. It only does well in soils with a low pH. The attractive coppery bark and its resistance to borers add to its desirability for several landscape situations.
The foliage turns pale yellow to bright yellow in autumn, contributing to fall color.
The male (staminate) catkins, with their copious amounts of windborne pollen, contribute to hay fever when they bloom in April and May.
The wood has been used for furniture, handicrafts, and specialty items (such as artificial limbs and wooden toys), as well as for pulp for paper manufacturing.
Native Americans and Europeans made birch beer from the sap of this species.
The inner bark was used for dying fabric.
Ecosystem Connections
A pioneer species, river birch rapidly colonizes exposed, bare stream banks and gravel bars, stabilizing the soil and developing a forest for other trees to succeed.
The seeds are eaten by songbirds and mice; the twigs are eaten by deer.
Beavers use river birch to make their dens.
The birch family (Betulaceae, pronounced BEH-tew-LAY-cee-ee) is a family of trees and shrubs native to North America, Europe, and Asia, with some species in the Andes of South America; globally, there are about 160 species.
- Other members of the family include alders (Alnus), hornbeams (Carpinus), hazels (Corylus), and hop hornbeams (Ostrya).
- All members of the birch family are monoecious, which means that they have both male and female flowers on the same tree; the flowers are grouped together in male catkins and female catkins and are wind-pollinated. The leaves are simple, alternate, and toothed.
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Caption
River birch (Betula nigra).
Credit
Paul Nelson
Right to Use
Photo by Paul Nelson, courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
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Credit
Jim Rathert
Right to Use
Use of this image is restricted to MDC only
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Similar Species
Similar Species
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Where to See Species
Mint Springs CA is across the highway from Mint Springs Access in Gasconade County. Forests in this area are dominated by white oak and hickory with dogwood and serviceberry in the understory.
About Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines in Missouri
There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground.