Average-sized, graceful tree with pendulous branches. The natural habit is loose and usually multiple-stemmed, in cultivation however, often grown on one stem. Seldom forms an upright trunk, but usually grows into a capricious and irregular tree with irregular, spreading, pendulous branches. At a young age the trunk is yellow brown, but later turns to brown red to nearly completely black. The bark flakes strongly and curves. Young twigs are red brown with dark lenticels. The leaf is shiny, deep green and colours into yellow in autumn. The leaf margin is strikingly double-toothed. The inflorescence is early, extremely generous and due to the long male catkins very striking. Originally it grows in moist soil, but it also grows in drier locations. The tree is shallow rooting with a delicately branching root system and many fibrous rootlets. Most birches are familiar because of their white bark. The Betula nigra's bark flakes off quite soon and turns via reddish-brown to very dark brownish-black.
Betula nigra can eventually reach a height of 10 - 15 m, fast growing, depending on the site and climate conditions.
Betula nigra is gyorsan növő and can eventually reach a height of 10 - 15 m, fast growing, depending on the site and climate conditions.
The leaves of Betula nigra turn sárga in autumn.
The right time to plant Betula nigra is during the dormancy period. In Western Europe, Betula nigra with root balls can generally be planted from mid-November to late April, although this depends strongly on the climatic conditions and the species of tree.