This Birch Tree will Sail through Hot Summers

Birch trees flourish in cool, northern climates, and Dura Heat River Birch (Betula nigra 'BNMTF') is no exception. But it's also the hands-down choice for regions with hot summers, which makes it both heat- and cold-tolerant! As an improved cultivar of the native species, Dura Heat River Birch also offers a delightfully surprising way to attract more backyard butterflies.

Superior Breeding Yields a Spectacular Tree
Better heat tolerance is only one quality of Dura Heat River Birch trees. Other top-ranked qualities include:

• Beautiful bark.. Mature trees develop exfoliating bark, which is characteristic of the species, adding a textural look that becomes even more beautiful with age. As the outer bark becomes shaggy, curly flakes will peel off to reveal the white bark underneath. Even this inner bark of Dura Heat River Birch is rated better than other birches '– a creamy-white color that offers a striking contrast against the reddish-brown outer bark.

• Fast growth. Dura Heat River Birch is a vigorous grower -- at the rate of up to 3 feet each year! You won't have to wait a lifetime to enjoy the many benefits this tree will bring to your landscape.

• Pest and disease resistance. Other birch trees are susceptible to pests that can cause devastating damage, such as the dreaded birch borer, and diseases, such as verticillium. But Dura Heat River Birch has been bred with a tougher constitution that fortifies it against the onslaught of these pests.

• Doesn't mind wet feet. "Wet feet" is a botanical term describing the condition of a plant's roots staying wet, which most plants can't handle without suffering root rot. But Dura Heat River Birch actually thrives in wet soils. Plant it beside a stream bank, in a rain garden (where water collects after rainfalls), or in a well-irrigated section of your landscape.

Butterfly Habitat
Female butterflies are particular about which plants they choose as hosts where they deposit their eggs, because when the hungry caterpillars hatch, they're ready to start eating lots of leaves. Dura Heat River Birch is a host plant for many butterfly species, such as the Mourning Cloak, Dreamy Duskywing, and Tiger Swallowtail. And even after the leaves turn a delicious shade of butter-yellow in autumn and ultimately fall from the trees, the shaggy bark provides a protective winter habitat for hibernating butterflies. So plant Dura Heat River Birch trees not only for the beauty they'll bring to your landscape but also for their incomparable value as a butterfly habitat!