River Birch Vs Heritage Birch . Its bark is whiter than any birch resistant to bronze birch borer. Daisyplantlady reno, nv (zone 6b) oct 12, 2015. Betula nigra 'Heritage' (River Birch) from www.gardenia.net Bronze birch borer a selection of river birch chosen for its lighter colored bark and large, glossy, light green leaves. Heritage birch tree (betula nigra 'cully') grows very fast to provide airy, breezy shade for you and your family. The heritage or cully cultivar was selected in 2002 as the tree of.