General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. River birches are perhaps the most culturally adaptable and heat tolerant of the birches. Prefers moist, acidic, fertile soils, including semi-aquatic conditions, but also tolerates drier soils. Adapts well to heavy clay soils and will tolerate poor drainage. Avoid pruning in spring when the sap is running.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

This river birch cultivar is a vigorous, fast-growing, medium-sized tree which can be grown as either a single trunk or multi-stemmed tree. As a single trunk tree, it develops a pyramidal habit when young, but gradually matures into a more rounded habit, typically growing 40-70' tall. Multi-stemmed trees form a more irregular shaped crown, and are often considered the superior growth habit for this tree. This cultivar features salmon-cream to brownish bark which exfoliates to reveal a creamy white inner bark that can be nearly as white as the white-barked birches. Leathery, diamond-shaped, dark green leaves (1.5-3.5" long) with doubly toothed margins are larger and glossier than the species and turn a respectable yellow in fall. Flowers are contained in drooping, brownish male catkins (2-3" long) and insignificant, smaller, upright, greenish female catkins, both of which appear in spring on the same tree. The plant was found growing in St. Louis, Missouri by Earl Cully. Although the Royal Horticultural Society lists this plant as cultivar 'Heritage' it appears that the correct cultivar name is 'Cully'. The plant is being sold under the tradename HERITAGE. U.S. Plant Patent #4,409 issued April 24, 1979.