Weeping river birch is a graceful, relatively small tree in the Betulaceae (birch) family, reaching 8 to 15 feet high when mature. Betula is Latin for birch and describes a genus of about 60 species of deciduous trees and shrubs found in many gardens and landscapes throughout the northern hemisphere. ‘Summer Cascade’ is a cultivar of the native river birch and was introduced by John and Daniel Allen at Shiloh Nursery in Harmony, North Carolina in 1996. River birch cultivars, like most birches, prefer wet sites and do best in moist, acidic, sandy or rocky, well-drained loam in full sun to part shade. The best foliage color occurs in full sun. River birches, including the weeping cultivar, are perhaps the most culturally adaptable and heat tolerant of the birches. This species has been known to tolerate flooded conditions for extended periods of time. It is also quite wind resistant. Keep the soil consistently moist and consider using soaker hoses and bark mulches to keep the root zones cool and moist. You can allow the stems to grow to the ground or prune them to enjoy the exfoliating bark, but you should prune during the dormant season. Do not prune in winter or spring when the sap is running, because it will bleed. Place the weeping river birch in the lawn or pond as a specimen or accent. It will thrive in a rain garden, and its year-round exfoliating bark makes it perfect for a winter garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems: 'Summer Cascade' is one of the only birch cultivars with resistance to bronze birch borer and leaf miner. Aphids may occur. Watch for leaf spot problems and chlorosis in alkaline soils. Weeping river birch is messy and tends to drop a lot of twigs, making it better suited for less manicured areas of the landscape. More information on Betula nigra .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Rounded; Weeping
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf margin
Crenate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Dark green simple, alternate leaves with rounded base and pointed apex. Good yellow fall color.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Green
Flower form
Catkin; Insignificant
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Inconspicuous tiny monoecious greenish-brown flowers appear in early spring in separate male and female catkins on the same tree.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Aggregate; Nut
Fruit detail
Drooping cone-like aggregate fruits containing small winged seeds that typically mature in late summer.
Bark color
Light Brown
Bark detail
Provides winter interest in the landscape. Smooth on young trees, light tan colored, develops papery scales. As the tree ages, bark divides into flat, scaly ridges. The bark peels away year-round.