Betula nigra catkins long, the male catkins pendulous, the female catkins erect. The fruit is unusual among birches in maturing in late spring; it is composed of numerous tiny winged seeds packed between the catkin bracts. "Betula nigra" is a tree that falls into the family of Betulaceae, which is commonly known as the Birch or Alder Family. This family comprises six genera ("Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus, Ostrya," and "Ostryopsis)" and includes alders, birches, hornbeams, and hazelnuts. Species within this family, along with "Betula nigra", are shrubs or trees that grow along stream sides or in poorly drained soils throughout the Northern
Northern Hemisphere to draw air toward it in a counter-clockwise pattern. Hurricanes and tropical storms (massive low-pressure systems) spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. The shadow of a sundial moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere (opposite of the Southern Hemisphere). During the day, the Sun tends to rise to its maximum at a southerly position except between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator, where the sun can be seen to the north, directly overhead, or to the south at noon dependent on the time of year. When viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the Moon appears inverted compared to a view from