Silver Birch
Betula pendula and B. utilis var. jacquemontii
Birches are graceful trees with white peeling bark, light canopies and yellow fall colour. They suit small gardens and are often planted as multi-stem clumps.
Photo: Percita at Flickr · CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun, Partial sun
Watering
Moderate
Water young trees regularly; birches have shallow roots and suffer in drought.
Soil
Moist, well-drained soil; pH 5.0–7.0.
Temperature and humidity
-40–30 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Little feeding needed.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed, grafting
Prune in late summer or fall, never spring, when sap bleeds heavily.
Birches are not toxic, but their spring pollen is a common allergen.
Top Cultivation Tips
Wash Himalayan birch bark in winter for brilliant white stems.
River birch (B. nigra) resists borers in hot US summers.
Mulch the roots.
Hardy in USDA zones 2–7.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →PestLeaf miners
Larvae of small flies and moths that tunnel inside leaves, leaving pale, winding trails.
How to treat it →DiseaseRust
A fungal disease that forms orange, brown or yellow powdery pustules, mainly on leaf undersides.
How to treat it →
