|
Arboretum
"A man does not plant a tree for himself, he plants it for posterity." - Alexander Smith
|
River Birch
(Betula nigra)
Donated by
Village of Huey, IL
Tree Map Location: #
21
|
|
Leaf:
|
Alternate, simple, pinnately-veined, rhombic to ovate, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, conspicuously doubly serrate, with a wedge-shaped base, green above, paler and fuzzy below.
|
|
Flower:
|
Monoecious; preformed, reddish green, male catkins near the end of the twig, 2 to 3 inches long; female catkins upright, 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, light green, appear or elongate (males) in mid-spring.
|
|
Fruit:
|
Cone-like, aggregate, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, with many hairy scales, reddish brown, containing many tiny, 3-winged seeds, ripen and break apart in the fall.
|
|
Twig:
|
Slender, orangish brown in color, smooth or slightly pubescent, with the terminal bud absent. Lateral buds may be slightly pubescent. No wintergreen odor when cut.
|
|
Bark:
|
Smooth on young trees, salmon to rust colored; developing papery scales, exfoliating horizontally with several colors (creamy to orangish-brown) visible; later developing coarse scales.
|
|
Form:
|
Medium size tree reaching up to 70 feet tall. The trunk generally divides low into several upright trunks.
|
|
Source:
|
College of Natural Resource Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
|
|
To participate in the Kaskaskia College Arboretum please contact:
Office of Institutional Advancement
618-545-3069
|
|
|
|