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Beautiful Birches

Driving down a wooded lane recently, I remarked on the striking contrast between the deep green pines and the snow-white bark of our native white birches (Betula papyrifera). There are several kinds of birches that do well in New England, and I like them all.

White birch (also called paper birch or canoe birch) is probably the most common of our birches. They can grow up to 50-70 feet tall in the wild, but most are not that large; the national champion is growing in Cheboygan County, MI is 107 feet tall and 76 feet across at the top, truly an exceptional tree. In the wild I see them everywhere from the rich soil at the edge of fields to the rocky, sandy soils on cliffs above the interstate highways √ and occasionally growing right out of rock ledges. From what I have read, it is not a city tree and does not thrive in areas with polluted air and water. It does best in full sun.

Before I knew better, I often wondered why I never saw any little white birches in the woods, only trees that were 15 feet tall or more. The answer is this: young white birches do not have white bark. They have reddish brown bark, which eventually turns white and develops the peeling habit that attracts boy scouts looking for fire starting material (it is very oily, and will ignite with a match even when soaking wet and freshly harvested).

Birches are often sold in clusters of threes, and look good growing together in bunches. Unfortunately, they often lean away from the center when growing close together, and sometimes get permanently bent down by wet snows or ice. I’ve seen them cabled together to prevent that. If you want a trio of birches, try planting 3 small birches about 30 inches apart- giving them enough room to grow.

Gray birch (B. populifolia)

Gray birch (B. populifolia) is sometimes mistaken for white birch, as it has a very similar bark. But as it gets older, the bark tends to become dirty looking, an off-white. But it is tough, and will grow in acid, sterile soils that verge on sand or rock. It is a small to medium sized tree (20-40 feet tall) that is hardy to minus 30 degrees. I see it often in mixed hardwood forests.

Sweet birch, also called black or cherry birch (B. lenta) is another native birch, one that is rarely seen used by landscapers despite the fact that it is a handsome tree, particularly when young and the bark is a shiny reddish brown. Older trees have a somewhat flaky dark color.

All birches are susceptible to a number of pests and diseases including leaf miners, leaf spots, and a variety of other pests. Most of those problems are not lethal, but can be unsightly.

Of all the birches, probably the least subject to pathogens and insects is the river birch (B. nigra). It is a fast-growing tree that can reach 30-40 feet tall in 20 years. The bark of young trees is light-colored and peels freely. Older trees have brownish bark that is≈ deeply furrowed and broken into irregular plate-like scales,- according to Michael Dirr’s Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, my tree bible. River birch is commonly sold as a landscape plant.

yellow birch (B. alleganiensis)

I love the yellow birch (B. alleganiensis) which has a shiny bark, first yellowish, then darkening as the trees get older, ending up with a “grayish to blackish brown plates” according to Dirr. I have observed them at the 6-inch diameter size still showing their yellow-gold color with the curly bits of thin peeling bark. It is, according to Dirr’s book, less susceptible to leaf miners than most other birches.

I’ve read about dwarf birch (B. nana), but I have never seen one. I will look for it, as according to Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, it is neatly rounded and only grows 2-4 feet high. It has very small leaves and sounds like a nice, dainty addition to any mixed perennial bed. It does well in moist soil, which I have, and it is hardy to Zone 2 (minus 50 degrees)! Anything that will survive those temperatures has got to be tough. Like most birches, it has leaves that turn a nice yellow in the fall.

So as you study your winter landscape, think about planting a few birches, come spring. They are wonderful in the wild, and can have a place in the garden as well. I grew up with a trio of white birches on the lawn, and have always liked them.