TREES > BIRCH
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BIRCH GUIDES
Birch trees are beautiful native trees which can find a place in many UK garden .
They have simple leaves , often borne in pairs on two - leaved lateral twig .
“ Birch can get quite marvelous , but it is n’t a impenetrable tree , so it wo n’t feel too big and its roots wo n’t spread too much , urinate it a in effect choice for even the smallest of garden , ” shares Ben Raskin , an honor - winning plantsman .
Overview
PreferredFull Sun or Dappled Shade
ExposureExposed or Sheltered
Height8 - 18 thousand
Spread6 - 8 M
Bloom TimeSpring
PreferredMost fertile soils
MoistureMoist but well run out
pHAny
Birches are deciduous hardwood trees in theBetulagenus .
TheBetulagenus is in the Betulaceae kinsfolk , whichalso include hazels , hornbeams and alders.1Betulaceae ( birch family ) . ( n.d . ) . Native Plant Trust . Retrieved March 9 , 2023 , fromhttps://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/family/betulaceae/
There are between 30 and 60 known taxa within this genus .
Unlike with alder , the catkin bear on the trees in spring are not woody and break apart at due date to release their seeds.2How to discover the Silver birch tree tree diagram ( Betula pendula ) in a few easy steps . ( n.d . ) . The Conservation Volunteers . recall March 9 , 2023 , fromhttps://treegrowing.tcv.org.uk/identify/silver-birch
There are two master species of birch native to the British Isles , which we will look at in more astuteness below .
There are also a number of non - aboriginal mintage which are often grown as garden trees here in the UK .
Why Grow A Birch Tree?
Birch trees are wonderfully ornamental trees to count turn in your garden .
They are attractive all year around , with interest from the barque and form , catkins in spring , and often good autumnal leaf colouration too .
Beyond aesthetic vexation , however , birch rod can be good choice for a wildlife - well-disposed , eco - well-disposed garden .
These are comparatively curtly - hold up pioneer species , which often colonize new country , creating ecosystems where a orbit of other plant and creature life can thrive.3Birch . ( n.d . ) . Future Trees Trust . Retrieved March 9 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.futuretrees.org/birch/
In the crazy , birch tree woods have an open canopy , allowing bluebells , sens , mosses , violets , Sir Henry Wood windflower , wood rozelle , and other timberland specie to grow.4Trust , W. ( n.d.-c).Silver Birch ( Betula pendula ) . Woodland Trust . Retrieved March 9 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/silver-birch/
This light - undefendable canopy can also be useful in a garden , allow for layered planting below the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , or for the world of a more realistic timber strategy .
antecedent action of birch rod can help in improve the soil and benefiting other plant growing nearby .
The leaves make well compost and enrich humus on the soil surface when left to decompose .
aboriginal birches provide food and home ground for over 300 different louse species , and theaphids and other insectsthat are attracted to these Tree fetch , in turn , a range of other species , like ladybirds , which prey on them to your garden.5Birch . ( n.d.-b ) . Guide to Insect Pests of Woody Plants . Retrieved March 9 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/treepestguide/birch.html
The leaves of birch trees are also food for thought for the caterpillars of many moth species .
Birch trees are also great for hoot .
Woodpeckers and other pickle - nesting birdsmay often make their nest in the trunks of birch trees , and the seeds attract and are eaten by mintage including greenfinches , siskins and redpolls .
Another matter to observe is that birch tree trees can offer a mountain chain of utile yields .
rationalize stuff of this hardwood have a range of interesting uses in craft and the trees can potentially be coppiced for a kitchen range of uses too .
Birch Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are sometimes tapped to collect their sap which makes a refreshful drink , which can also be boiled down to reduce it into syrup .
vernal birch leaves can also be eaten , crude or cooked.6H. ( 2020b , April 9).Birch , highly Versatile with a Tasty Wintergreen Flavoring . corrode the Planet.https://eattheplanet.org/birch-extremely-versatile-with-a-tasty-wintergreen-flavoring/
Birch Varieties
The best birch tree trees to reckon for UK gardens are native birches , which contribute benefit for a range of wildlife and furnish habitat for a kitchen range of aboriginal species.7UK Native Trees . ( n.d . ) . Woodland Trust . Retrieved April 25 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/native-trees/
The two common native species in the British Isles are the silver birch and the sericeous birch tree :
The Silver Birch is an extremely popular garden tree .
It can farm up to around 30 one thousand in height and 4 - 8 m wide , and is prized for its attractive and light-headed canopied frame , and beautiful papery white bark which exuviate in level and develop interesting patina as the tree diagram senesce .
Attractive yellowish catkin appear on the tree diagram during the outpouring and , like other birches , foliation can colour well in the fall calendar month .
“ I would n’t be without silver birch in my garden , ” shares Nic Wilson , a Garden Writer .
“ Ours pull so many boo to the garden and over 300 insect coinage have been recorded experience or feeding on birch rod . Like many trees , it ’s an ecosystem all of its own . ”
The downy birch rod is a broadleaf specie which grow further north than any other .
Also jazz as the European White Birch , White Birch , or Hairy Birch , matured trees of this species can also grow up to 30 m improbable and 4 - 8 MB encompassing .
They have reasonably brownish leaves , without the Silver Birch ’s paperiness , and with more obvious horizontal rut , and mould a low-cal canopy with graceful and swag branches .
The name come from the downy texture of the folio stalks , which is not found on silver-tongued birch .
Like the above , the downy birch bears yellow - brown ament in spring andcan have good autumn people of color .
However , while planting aboriginal trees is often the best choice for eco - friendly garden , there are also a stove of other birch tree which can be excellent choices for ornamental appeal .
“ Since the UK experienced glaciation relatively recently , its flora is relatively sparse compared to areas of the globe that did not , ” shares Colin Skelly , a Master Horticulturist .
“ apply nigh - native ( European or North American ) or exotic ( southern hemisphere ) plants extend to the range of flora available to gardeners and is still often a resourcefulness for wildlife . ”
Some non - native birch often chosen for UK garden due to their ornamental appeal let in :
“ I absolutely love growingBetula utilis , ” share Garden Designer Jacquie Felix - Mitchell .
“ This Birch is such a looker , with a fabulous sense of the ethereal in the winter garden . ”
There are examples of all the above which can make great choices , even in smaller gardens .
Where To Grow
ash grey birches and white birches both expect peculiarly pleasing when planted in minuscule groups or when cultivated / coppiced as multi - stemmed examples .
Native birch trees prefer a well - enfeeble and prolific loam in a gay placement .
They will not develop well in the spook , but can tolerate almost all land conditions , include pathetic soils , sandlike soils , and heavy clays .
The native birch tree usually prefer acidic or neutral ground but can also often grow well in alkaline condition .
Birches are also fully hardy ( H7 ) and can grapple with a fairlyhigh stage of wind photo .
aboriginal birch can be placed on a lawn as specimen tree , mold the canopy in a forest surface area or woods garden , or even be placed towards theback of garden borders , surrounded by shrub and herbaceous planting .
Planting Birches
birch tree trees can be purchased as saplings or more mature specimen .
These can be buy as bare base plants over the sleeping period ( generally the more affordable pick ) or as pot - grown specimens throughout the rest of the twelvemonth .
Planting can be done at any time , but it is best to avoid the warmest summertime months when transplantation may be trickier and the industrial plant may put be under more accent due to the temperatures and dry conditions .
Dig generous planting gob big enough to suit the root scheme of the new Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , add a layer of compost or other constituent topic to the planting maw before you plant your tree diagram .
post the rootball in your planting golf hole , making trusted that the tree is found to the same depth .
Fill back the dirt around the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and water it in well ; contribute a generous mulch of constituent matter around the tree diagram .
Birch Tree Care
Water your birch trees well until they become establish , after which time , when they are well - rooted , raw rain should be sufficient .
Additional alimentation is not ask , but it is a good idea to refill the organic mulch around the base of your birch Tree each spring .
Birch trees should absolutely only be pruned when fully sleeping between early autumn and the middle of wintertime .
Pruning at any other time will make the trees phlebotomize sap to a great extent , even in tardy wintertime when the sap of other Tree may not have yet rise .
Established trees do not need even pruning , and hard pruning is not recommended .
However , move out damaged Sir Henry Wood , or crossing branches can be beneficial ( and these may be utile for a range of project too ) .
If you wish to make a multi - stemmed birch , prefer a youthful flora no more than around a metre tall and cut it horizontally close to ground tier ( at around 10 cm ) or to around 30 - 60 cm or so above the ground .
This cut should stimulate hibernating bud which will grow up strongly the following year .
After a couple of old age , you may wish also to confine the number of main prow by choosing a few well - spaced ones to keep , veer out the rest down to the foundation .
Many birches are chosen for their attractive peeling barque , but if some loose barque is getting a little tatty , you may remove some of it .
Just make certain that you do not remove too much , or go too far , as this may damage the living tissues of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree just below the surface .
If you wish to show off pale - coloured barque to best effect , you may clean off some gullible algae from the main trunk with a soft , cockeyed textile .
This wo n’t harm the tree and the algae will quickly refund .
However , ensure that you do n’t interrupt the lichens and moss which may grow from outlying branches , as these are a crucial part of your garden ’s ecosystem .
Birch tree diagram make wonderful additions to a healthy , productive and beautiful garden , so you should by all odds reckon turn at least one where you populate .
