These are covered with Dewberry, Poison Ivy, and Catbriar. It has rather shiny green, toothed leaves and racemes of small, white flowers. It is not a very common plant in our area, but we have seen others in the park. At this point, we start to see plants indicative of a riverine habitat. River Birch, Betula nigra , is only found in association with water.
Birches usually have slender, graceful habits.
River Birch does not have the showy white bark of the eastern Canoe Birches and Paper Birches. It does, however, have an interesting exfoliating or peeling bark. In young trees this is often an appealing salmon or rosy tan color. Older trees are more gray. Sycamore, Platanus occidentalis , is another riverside tree that is common here.