Flaky tree

“Black Birch,” or “River Birch”; scientifically, “Betula nigra.”

From Missouri Botanical Garden, http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=x800 » “River birch is a vigorous, fast-growing, medium-sized, Missouri native deciduous tree which occurs on floodplains, swampy bottomlands and along streams throughout the State. In cultivation, it can be trained as either a single trunk or multi-trunked tree. As a single trunk tree, it develops a pyramidal habit when young, but matures to a more rounded shape typically growing 40-70' tall. Multi-trunked trees form a more irregular crown and are generally considered to be the superior growth habit for this species. Salmon-pink to reddish brown bark exfoliates to reveal lighter inner bark. Leathery, diamond-shaped, medium to dark green leaves (1.5-3.5" long) with doubly toothed margins turn yellow in fall. Monoecious flowers appear in drooping, brownish male catkins and smaller, upright, greenish female catkins.”

Makes me recall the diseased birch tree in my childhood yard. (Based on color alone, that may have been a “Paper Birch” = “Canoe Birch” = “White Birch” = “Betula papyrifera.”) My parents considered having it removed, but decided against that action (and expense) decades ago. And the last I knew, the tree still stands. Don't see many of those beautiful trees in southern Illinois, but since I spotted a particular River Birch — http://phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Betulaceae_Betula_nigra_107925.html — I've been noticing a lot of these. Depending on I-don't-know-what, Botanist Dan labels these as either showing “flaky bark” or “exfoliating bark.”

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Betula_nigra&rank=binomial

1 year ago (“Why Clare left today…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2015-03-04
2 years ago (“Slip, sliding away…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2014-03-04
3 years ago (“Homalocladium platycladum”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2013-03-04
4 years ago (“Where the kitchen ‘help’ slept”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-03-04
5 years ago (“An $8,000 shot!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-03-04

[ IMG_9292S8x12ARtm :: f/4.5 :: 1/200" :: ISO-400 :: 60mm ]

[Jane Anderson]

It is quite different than our aspen trees, though their bark also peels.

[Joanna kate]

Love the flaky bark