Fox Valley River Birch
Betula nigra "Little King"
Height: 10 feet
Spread: 12 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4
Description:
A wonderful dense and compact landscape-scale birch, more of an irregularly rounded-spreading large shrub than a tree, with interesting cinnamon colored bark; ideal size for use in a garden setting
Ornamental Features:
Fox Valley River Birch has dark green foliage throughout the season. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding yellow in the fall. It features subtle chartreuse catkins in early spring. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The peeling tan bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.
Landscape Attributes:
Fox Valley River Birch is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Fox Valley River Birch is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- General Garden Use
Plant Characteristics:
Fox Valley River Birch will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves in alkaline soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones.
This is a selection of a native North American species.
