River Birch
Betula nigra

Birch trees have shedding bark that peels off like curly sheets of paper. These trees also shed enormous amounts of pollen. Birch pollen is so tiny and light that the wind can carry it great distances. The pollen causes many cases of severe spring hay fever. You can tell when a river birch is blooming and shedding pollen because the male flowers are so eye-catching. They hang from the tree like hundreds of drooping candles before the leaves unfold. Like its name suggests, river birch grows in the wild along streams and rivers. Turkeys, rabbits, and mice love to eat the seeds, and deer munch on the young twigs and buds. It is also a popular tree around homes.