The River Birch is a native conifer tree species in the Birch (Betulaceae) Family. The River Birch is found in flood plains and wetland in the Eastern U.S., and most abundant in the southeast, but its native range extends north to New England and southern Minnesota. It thrives in hot, humid conditions and full sun. The native species has black colored bark at maturity. Leaves are alternate, diamond-shaped, and have a doubly serrated margin. It produces both male catkins and female flowers on the same plant. The River Birch grows 60-80 feet and typically lives 50-75 years.
River Birch are the fifth most abundant tree in Mendota Heights, due to the planting of it in residential landscapes. River Birch is resistant to bronze birch borer, a pest of many other birch species. It can develop chlorosis when planted in alkaline soils.