OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

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Most habitat and range descriptions were obtained from Weakley's Flora.

Your search found 15 taxa in the family Betulaceae, Birch family, as understood by Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.

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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Green Alder, Mountain Alder

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Alnus crispa   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Alnus viridis ssp. crispa   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Alnus crispa 054-01-001   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Grassy balds, shrub balds, spruce-fir forests, and rock outcrops at high elevations (1600-1900m) in the Roan Mountain Massif, Mitchell and Avery counties, NC and Carter County, TN

Rare (though locally common)

Native to North Carolina

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Tag Alder, Hazel Alder, Smooth Alder

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Alnus serrulata   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Alnus serrulata   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Alnus serrulata 054-01-002   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Streambanks, bogs, wet thickets

Common

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Speckled Alder

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Alnus rugosa   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Alnus incana ssp. rugosa   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Braided streamhead seepage swamps (in VA), other seepy or saturated wetlands

Native: north of the Carolinas

 


drawing of Alnus maritima ssp. georgiensis, Georgia Alder need picture of Alnus maritima ssp. georgiensis, Georgia Alder need picture Alnus maritima ssp. georgiensis, Georgia Alder need picture of Alnus maritima ssp. georgiensis, Georgia Alder need picture of Alnus maritima ssp. georgiensis, Georgia Alder
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Common Name: Georgia Alder

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Alnus maritima ssp. georgiensis   FAMILY: Betulaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN PLANTS National Database: Alnus maritima   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Standing water of Ridge-and-Valley spring run

Rare (endemic to a single site in Bartow County, GA)

Native to Georgia

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Black Alder, European Alder

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Alnus glutinosa   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Alnus glutinosa   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Disturbed areas, suburban woodlands

Non-native: Europe

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Beaked Hazelnut

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Corylus cornuta var. cornuta   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Corylus cornuta var. cornuta   FAMILY: Betulaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Corylus cornuta 054-02-001   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Dry rocky woodlands, thickets, high elevation forests and openings, seepage swamps

Common in Carolina Mountains, rare in Coastal Plain (uncommon elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: American Hazelnut, American Filbert

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Corylus americana   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Corylus americana   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Corylus americana 054-02-002   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Rocky woodlands, mesic to rich forests and thickets

Common (uncommon in GA Piedmont, rare in Coastal Plain)

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Yellow Birch

Weakley's Flora: (4/14/23) Betula alleghaniensis   FAMILY: Betulaceae

INCLUDING PLANTS National Database: Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Betula lutea 054-03-001   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Forests at medium to high elevations, rarely at low elevations

Common in NC, uncommon in GA, rare in SC

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch, Black Birch, "Mahogany"

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Betula lenta var. lenta   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Betula lenta   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Betula lenta 054-03-002   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Forests at low to high elevations; common (uncommon in Piedmont)

Common in Mountains, uncommon in Piedmont

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Mountain Paper Birch

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Betula cordifolia   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia 054-03-003   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: High elevation forests, southwards primarily on talus of avalanche chutes (as in the Black Mountains, Yancey County, NC, and the Great Smoky Mountains, Sevier County, TN), and on talus slopes and adjacent forests at high elevations

Rare

Native to North Carolina

 


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camera icon Common Name: Canoe Birch, Paper Birch

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Betula papyrifera   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Betula papyrifera var. papyrifera   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Dry soils, in VA especially on quartzite on the western flank of the Blue Ridge, and on sandstone talus in the Ridge and Valley

Native: north of the Carolinas

 


drawing of Betula populifolia, Gray Birch, White Birch need picture of Betula populifolia, Gray Birch, White Birch need picture Betula populifolia, Gray Birch, White Birch need picture of Betula populifolia, Gray Birch, White Birch need picture of Betula populifolia, Gray Birch, White Birch
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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: Gray Birch, White Birch

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Betula populifolia   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Betula populifolia   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Betula populifolia 054-03-004   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Woods, thickets, in VA native in old fields and young forests in the Big Meadows area on greenstone (Madison & Page counties, VA), disturbed areas

Rare

Native: north of the Carolinas

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: River Birch, Red Birch

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Betula nigra   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Betula nigra   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Betula nigra 054-03-005   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Riverbanks, streambanks, floodplains, sandbars, disturbed uplands

Common

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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camera icon speaker icon Common Name: American Hop-hornbeam, Ironwood, Eastern Hop-hornbeam, Leverwood

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Ostrya virginiana   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Ostrya virginiana   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Ostrya virginiana 054-04-001   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Habitat: Mesic to dry forests, often rocky, especially over basic rocks, reaching high elevations

Common (uncommon in Coastal Plain)

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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camera icon Common Name: Musclewood, American Hornbeam, Blue-beech, Ironwood

Weakley's Flora: (4/24/22) Carpinus caroliniana +   FAMILY: Betulaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS National Database: Carpinus caroliniana +   FAMILY: Betulaceae

INCLUDED WITHIN Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968): Carpinus caroliniana 054-05-001   FAMILY: Betulaceae

 

Look for it on streambanks, riverbanks, bottomland forests, lower slopes, and, depending on variety, in maritime forests or rich cove forests

Common, uncommon, or rare - depending on variety & region

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

 


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"... conventional landscaping produces biologically sterile, water-dependent environments. This has led some cities in arid regions to encourage native plant species, which need less maintenance and contribute to wildlife habitat." — Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods