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Value-for-money

Betula pendula Youngii - Birch

Betula pendula Youngii
Silver Birch

4,7/5
6 reviews
1 reviews
1 reviews
0 reviews
0 reviews

Overall satisfied: Good quality tree in line with the description and image (that's really the most important). Arrived with 2 broken branches out of 4 (probably due to packaging, as there was no external impact). Not a big deal. However, dissatisfied with the delivery delays not being respected: availability announced on 19/11 for delivery on 21/11, ordered on 15/11 (to ensure a good timeframe), finally delivered on 7/12 with deadlines changing every 4 days (good point on updates).

Gil, 08/12/2023

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This plant carries a 24 months recovery warranty

More information

Value-for-money
A deciduous weeping birch with moderate growth, both compact and graceful. It bears a fine and cascading habit that gives it the appearance of an umbrella. Its bright green foliage turns yellow in autumn, transforming it into a fountain of gold against its beautiful white-silver bark. This small tree is a true vegetal sculpture to be highlighted in a small garden. Suitable for any soil, preferably neutral to acidic.
Flower size
1 cm
Height at maturity
5 m
Spread at maturity
5 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -34°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time October
Recommended planting time January to May, September to December
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Flowering time March to April
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Description

Betula pendula 'Youngii', a weeping birch with moderate growth, will become the centrepiece of the garden, even in limited space. With a wide, compact, and graceful habit, it captivates with its slender, unbowed branches, giving it an umbrella-like appearance, even in winter when it is leafless. Its bright green cascading foliage turns yellow in autumn, transforming it into a fountain of gold against its beautiful white-silver bark. This unusual small tree, a true vegetal sculpture, deserves a prominent place in a romantic, or even Japanese-inspired setting. Fully hardy and disease-resistant, it adapts to both wet and dry, poor soils but dislikes excessive limestone presence in the soil.

 

Native to mainly central Europe and temperate Asia, Betula pendula (synonym B. verrucosa), commonly known as the Silver Birch, is a large-growing tree of the Betulaceae family. This light-loving species naturally has a pyramidal habit, a more or less straight trunk, and a generally oval crown carried by long, almost upright branches with pendulous twigs at an acute angle. Its growth rate is quite fast. It is extremely cold-resistant.

The cultivar 'Youngii', born in England around 1870, is mainly distinguished by its smaller size, and its wide and particularly weeping habit. It will reach an average of 5 m (16.4 ft) in all directions. The silhouette is generally rounded, irregular, and dense. The white bark exfoliates and, over time, becomes darker and more channelled at the base of the trunk, with deep crevices. The pendulous twigs are reddish-brown and speckled with verrucate lenticels. The deciduous foliage appears early in spring and tends to completely conceal the trunk. It consists of triangular leaves, 3 cm to 6 cm (1.2 in to 2.4 in) long, with toothed edges, and a tender green colour. They turn a vibrant yellow before falling. The flowering, in the form of catkins, is discreet. This birch produces radiating lateral tap roots with a very dense network of small surface feeder roots.

 

'Youngii' is a sculptural tree with a modest stature for a birch, perfect for small gardens. Superbly structured, its white and somewhat mysterious silhouette stands out beautifully against a winter sky or at the corner of a terrace. In the garden, it requires no maintenance. It deserves a prominent place, visible from the house. To cover the base of this tree, which dries out the soil during the growing season, it is advisable to choose plants adapted to these conditions: heathers, small grasses like Stipa pennata or tenuifolia, Carex, Ophiopogon. It can also be planted in front of a grove of trees chosen for their foliage or decorative bark, such as Acer griseum or Betula albosinensis. Maples, Nysa sylvatica, Caramel tree, Chinese Mahogany, or even a white willow will create a beautiful backdrop for this superb plant specimen.

Betula pendula Youngii - Birch in pictures

Betula pendula Youngii - Birch (Foliage) Foliage
Betula pendula Youngii - Birch (Plant habit) Plant habit

Plant habit

Height at maturity 5 m
Spread at maturity 5 m
Habit weeping
Growth rate fast

Flowering

Flower colour insignificant
Flowering time March to April
Inflorescence Spike
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour green

Safety measures

Potential risks Plant that can cause respiratory allergy due to pollen

Botanical data

Genus

Betula

Species

pendula

Cultivar

Youngii

Family

Betulaceae

Other common names

Silver Birch

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference839702

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Planting and care

Easy to grow, it requires little maintenance and does not need pruning. It should be planted in preferably moist soil, low in limestone, humus-rich, and slightly acidic to achieve beautiful foliage colourations, but it will also thrive in neutral to slightly alkaline soil, in full sun or partial shade. It tolerates clayey, loamy, sandy, peaty and nutrient-poor soils, as well as occasional dryness. This tree produces numerous shallow roots that can hinder the growth of other plants under its crown, by drying out and depleting the soil. It is not tolerant to salt spray.

Planting period

Best planting time October
Recommended planting time January to May, September to December

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Free-standing
Hardiness Hardy down to -34°C (USDA zone 4) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Any
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Ordinary, deep soil.

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Soil moisture Moist soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
4,7/5
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