Betula nigra (species) en

Species of ornamental tree found on riverbanks and swamps in the eastern one-third of the United States, growing 18-30 m (60 to 80 feet) in height. Because the lower trunk becomes very dark with age, the tree is sometimes called black birch. The red-brown, deeply furrowed bark on an old trunk breaks into ragged, closely appressed scales; the upper trunk and branches are smooth, salmon pink to rose cinnamon, with a metallic luster.