{"id":11942,"date":"2016-11-02T00:27:23","date_gmt":"2016-11-02T00:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/?p=11942"},"modified":"2016-11-01T16:01:31","modified_gmt":"2016-11-01T16:01:31","slug":"silver-birch-root-and-branch-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/articles\/trees-and-shrubs\/silver-birch-root-and-branch-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Silver Birch &#8211; 8 Species  Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Silver Birch look the part on a cold and frosty morning. The white or silvery trunk looks good singly or when grouped together.<br \/>\n<a title=\"boxing morning 102 by brianpettinger, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/hortoris\/3137935785\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.staticflickr.com\/3130\/3137935785_fc85ab8b4b.jpg\" alt=\"boxing morning 102\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Key Features of the Silver Birch<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Latin name<\/strong> Betula pendula other common names Curly birch, Paper Birch, Weeping Birch or Ribbon Tree<\/li>\n<li><strong>Height<\/strong> up to 100 feet 30m narrow spread.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type of tree<\/strong> &#8211; Deciduous broad leaf<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leaves <\/strong> &#8211; Green and triangular shaped with toothed edges.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flowers<\/strong> Male and female catkins borne on the same tree.<br \/>\nMale are yellow and drooping female green and upright, later pendulous when fertilised.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fruit <\/strong> Winged seeds borne in catkins<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bark<\/strong> Silver white with black fissures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Family<\/strong> Betulacea<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Origins and Distribution of the Silver Birch<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>European origin found throughout Europe, western and northern Asia.<\/li>\n<li>Seeds prolifically and is found in Canada, Scandinavia, Turkey and widely spread as a specimen ornamental.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Uses and Commercial Attributes of the Silver Birch<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Used for making barrels and furniture. The wood is too soft for use in construction<\/li>\n<li>The fine twiggy branches are used for brooms and besoms as well as racecourse jumps.<\/li>\n<li>Used as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.<\/li>\n<li>Silver birch is popular in Finland where it is the national tree used in forestry and as branches to beat yourself in the sauna.<\/li>\n<li>\u00c2\u00a0 Historically the paper like bark was used in ancient times for writing Sanskrit texts and it is still used today for sacred mantras.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Gardeners Tips for the Silver Birch<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Silver Birch grow in a cool climate and enjoy an occasional winter snowfall.<\/li>\n<li>They are fast growing, shallow rooted that may require water during dry periods.<\/li>\n<li>They grow best and show most colour in full sun planted in deep, well-drained soil..<\/li>\n<li>Trees are short lived and rot from damage so dislike pruning.<\/li>\n<li>They are often planted amongst leafy rhododendrons and conifers where the white bark is particularly striking.<\/li>\n<li>The deciduous foliage turns yellow in autumn.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"silver birch by brianpettinger, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/hortoris\/5454005768\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5176\/5454005768_9b72de0046.jpg\" alt=\"silver birch\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Other types of Birch and Species<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>There are 40 different Birches including Himalayan Birch, Betula utilis which has white bark without the fissures<\/li>\n<li>Betula platyphylla and Betula szechuanica are species common in Asia.<\/li>\n<li>Paper Birch has flaky bark that was used in tanning Betula papyrifera.<\/li>\n<li>Silver Birch can be confused with Downy Birch Betula pubescence<\/li>\n<li>Betula alleghaniensis has a yellow bark that glows in the sun<\/li>\n<li>Betula dahurica has peeling bark<\/li>\n<li>Betula ermanii is a larger tree with a pink trunk<\/li>\n<li>Betulaalbosinensis &#8216;Pink Champagne&#8217; is another winter spectacular<\/li>\n<li>Betula Jacqumontii is a tall, slender Himalayan birch tree with stunning white peeling bark.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a title=\"Barking up the wrong tree by brianpettinger, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/hortoris\/4109478068\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.staticflickr.com\/2778\/4109478068_9d96653a10.jpg\" alt=\"Barking up the wrong tree\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Silver Birch comments from elsewhere<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Birch is believed to protect against evil spirits and the evil eye but it also symbolises love and fertility. In medieval times, a bundle of birch twigs was carried by the local magistrate on his way to court as a symbol of his authority and as a means of correction. The use of the birch as a punishment probably originates in the need to drive out evil spirits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are over 60 species of birch or Betula as they are known<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1329\" title=\"silver-birch\" src=\"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/silver-birch.jpg\" alt=\"silver-birch\" width=\"429\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/silver-birch.jpg 429w, https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/silver-birch-300x234.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Silver Birch or Betula pendula has gleaming white trunk and stems that look good in winter with yellowing leaves in autumn that add seasonal colour. As a native British tree birches are good for the environment and encourage wild life.<\/p>\n<h3>Growing Silver Birches<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>In a <strong>large garden<\/strong> a full grown Silver Birch can offer shelter to smaller less robust trees and shrubs.<\/li>\n<li>Silver Birch prefer light sandy soil but are quite tolerant of most soil conditions.<\/li>\n<li>Normally cultivated to <strong>above 30 feet tall<\/strong> Silver Birch seek out light, bright conditions.<\/li>\n<li>Small &#8216;whips&#8217; or saplings can be planted in Winter or Autumn and mature trees seed quite freely.<\/li>\n<li>Tie young trees to a stake.<\/li>\n<li>The branches can be tied together to make a beesom. The timber is white and used for craft work and furniture making.<\/li>\n<li>A <strong>weeping<\/strong> Silver birch Betula pendula &#8216;<strong>Youngii&#8217;<\/strong> produces a dome shaped or mushroom headed tree of lesser proportions.<!--more--><\/li>\n<li>The purple leaved Betula pendula <strong>&#8216;Pupurea&#8217; <\/strong>may be sought out as an ornamental specialty.<\/li>\n<li>Betula pubescence or Common White Birch has a reddish tinge to the bark and prefers damper soil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Other Birches to Consider<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The Betula papyrifera is a striking larger tree with white bark. Sometimes sold as Paper Birch or Canoe Birch the bark can peel and has appeal.<\/li>\n<li>Betula albosinensis var. septentrionalis or the Chinese red birchhas superior bark<\/li>\n<li>For <strong>large catkins <\/strong>try the more shrubby Betula medwediewii with corrugated leaves that turn yellow in Autumn.<\/li>\n<li>The best large tree may be the <strong>Betula ermanii<\/strong> with pinkish white trunk and orange branches.<\/li>\n<li>At <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forestry.gov.uk\/westonbirt\">Westonbirt Arboretum <\/a>you can see many Birches including Dahurica, Alleghaniensis and Utils. Make a visit to see them in situ  before you choose a plant for yourself.<\/li>\n<li>Our Root and <a href=\"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/flowers\/trees-and-shrubs\/silver-birch-root-and-branch-review\/\">branch review of Betula<\/a><\/li>\n<li>For more information on native birch trees read<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1565233077\/richardpettin-21\"> Celebrating Birch<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Follow the full story of Bark <a href=\"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/?p=14145\">on our other pages<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/1565233077\/richardpettin-21\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.amazon.com\/images\/P\/1565233077.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg\" alt=\"Book Cover\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Slender Silver Birch an ornamental tree with ornamental bark. Linked to  birching and witch craft<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,251],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-11942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trees-and-shrubs","category-tree-root-and-branch","tag-best-british"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11942\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenerstips.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}