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Great Design Plant: White Birch
Slim and snowy, with paper-like bark, this tree gorgeously contrasts fall foliage and offers its own colorful contribution to the landscape
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Winter tests a plant's all-around attractiveness. It's a tough test for even the showiest of deciduous trees, but the white birch shines year-round. Its paper-like white bark stands out against the rest of the trees, whether it is surrounded by other naked trees or has a backdrop of evergreens. The birch also stands out in the fall, with its beautiful white bark popping against the yellows, oranges and reds of northern North America's autumn leaves, not to mention its own golden yellow fall color.
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Botanical name: Betula papyrifera
Common names: White Birch, Paper Birch, Canoe Birch
USDA zones: 2 to 6 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Consistent moisture
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 50 to 75 feet tall and 35 to 50 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: This is a strong tree that stands up to ice and snow, as well as salt. It is tolerant of many types of soil, even nutrient-poor soils, but you will have the best luck with moist, well-drained, loose soil.
Seasonal interest: This is one of best deciduous trees to plant for winter interest; the papery white bark stands out. It also contrasts with bright autumn leaves. Its own leaves turn golden yellow in the fall.
When to plant: After the last frost in springtime or in the fall
Common names: White Birch, Paper Birch, Canoe Birch
USDA zones: 2 to 6 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Consistent moisture
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 50 to 75 feet tall and 35 to 50 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: This is a strong tree that stands up to ice and snow, as well as salt. It is tolerant of many types of soil, even nutrient-poor soils, but you will have the best luck with moist, well-drained, loose soil.
Seasonal interest: This is one of best deciduous trees to plant for winter interest; the papery white bark stands out. It also contrasts with bright autumn leaves. Its own leaves turn golden yellow in the fall.
When to plant: After the last frost in springtime or in the fall
Distinguishing traits. Birch's white, peeling bark contrasts the foliage and bark of other trees. It gets whiter and peels more with age.
Its delicate leaves are bright green in the spring and turn gold in the fall.
Its delicate leaves are bright green in the spring and turn gold in the fall.
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| How to use it. This sculptural tree may have single or multiple trunks. It is beautiful at the edge of a woodland, in an allée, in a grove or quincunx, and as a one-speciman tree next to a patio. |
Planting notes. White birch trees do not have a very long life, usually around 20 to 50 years. In exchange, they are fairly fast growing. The better the site you choose for your birch, the better its chances of hitting that 50-year mark. If you're south of the Mason-Dixon line, you'll want to look for another species of birch.
Do not plant these birches in hot, dry microclimates. They can tolerate full sun to partial shade; the USDA recommends planting them in a location on the north or east side of the house, to keep the soil more cool. Moist (but not wet), loose soils are best.
How to plant a birch tree:
• Dig a hole about three times the size of the root ball. Make sure the soil is loose.
• Loosen the root ball, place it in the hole, and fill the hole halfway with rich soil that won't get compacted.
• Fill the hole with water, let it drain, then fill the rest of the hole with soil.
• Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch on top to keep the soil moist and cool; don't let the mulch touch the trunk. Make sure the soil stays cool, moist and drained.
Do not plant these birches in hot, dry microclimates. They can tolerate full sun to partial shade; the USDA recommends planting them in a location on the north or east side of the house, to keep the soil more cool. Moist (but not wet), loose soils are best.
How to plant a birch tree:
• Dig a hole about three times the size of the root ball. Make sure the soil is loose.
• Loosen the root ball, place it in the hole, and fill the hole halfway with rich soil that won't get compacted.
• Fill the hole with water, let it drain, then fill the rest of the hole with soil.
• Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch on top to keep the soil moist and cool; don't let the mulch touch the trunk. Make sure the soil stays cool, moist and drained.
| Other uses. If all or part of your mature birch tree has to come down, make sure to chop it into fireplace logs to leave out on display like all the fancy photo stylists do. Also, birch trees are valuable for wildlife — birds love to nest in it, and some eat its catkins and seeds; sapsuckers suck its sap; porcupines eat its bark; deer eat its leaves; and the list goes on. Finally, these trees make for some really gorgeous Native American canoes, hence the common name Canoe Birch. |
That's interesting. White birch trees were one of the first trees in North America to pop up as the Ice Age ice retreated.
Comments
steinertbarbara White Birch are an extremely soft wooded tree. They split and crack with ice and heavy snow loads.
9 months ago · Like
olldbobbi I think a grove of birch trees are even more beautiful in the winter. We had three in front of the house we bought last year, but unfortunately they were dead. We live in Zone 8; I guess it's too hot for them.
9 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Aug. 24, 2012.
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