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Sweet Birch

Betula lenta

Sweet birch has dark cherry-like bark and aromatic wintergreen twigs that were once the source of birch beer. Glowing yellow fall color and adaptability to drier upland sites set it apart.

Family
Betulaceae
Type
tree
Lifespan
perennial
Height
40–60 ft
Spacing
35–45 ft apart
Light
sun, part shade
Soil moisture
dry, moist
Soil pH
acidic, neutral
Bloom
April, May
Bloom colors
yellow, green, brown
Wildlife value
songbirds, larval host
Caterpillar hosts
~411 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen
Native states
AL, CT, GA, KY, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WV