Tree Information
Specialities
Tolerances
Wet Soil: Medium
Dry Soil: Medium
Lime: Medium
The family name of birch is far-reaching, with relatives all over the globe. Here in the UK, we have two siblings which are native to our lands. The sister Betula pendula, and her brother Betula pubescens. Like all siblings, the sister Betula pendula looks quite similar to her brother, but she has noticeable femininity in her appearance.
Its canopy gently weeps with pendulous grace that softly sways in the wind. Its crown overhangs. Because of this grace, the silver birch has become known as the ‘Lady of the Woods’. Its leaves provide a dappled shade, making it ideal for providing cooling shadow, but keeping the area light and clear underneath the canopy. The attractive white bark develops dark cracks and plates as it matures, providing a delicate beauty.
Both brother and sister remain loyal and extremely invaluable to our lands, supporting over 300 different species of insects and birds. In fact, it was the combined efforts of these siblings that helped pioneer the UK after the last Ice Age.
Even though birch are renowned for their adaptability, they do not perform well as bare roots. At Hillier, we only provide the Betula as Root-ball from our fields, or container-grown.
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Useful ResourcesSize
Medium
10m high x 5m wide after 25 years
Environment
Ideal for parkland planting.
Canopy
Oval shaped when young, becoming more pendulous as it matures. Also available as a multi-stem.
Foliage
Rounded green leaves which provide dapple shade, turning golden yellow in the autumn.
Bark
The bark starts of white with a tendency to peel slightly. As it matures, it develops deep fissures and darkens in colour.
Flowers
Produced early spring before the leaves. These are wind pollinated, and disintegrate when mature releasing thousands of winged seeds.
Resilience
Thrives in most well-drained soils but has shallow roots. Not well-suited for coastal conditions and is sensitive to soil compaction and fluctuating water levels.
Wildlife
Foliage is a valuable food source for many links of the food web.
Available As:
Semi-Mature, Super Semi-Mature, Multi-stem
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