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Betula pubescens - Downy Birch

Betula pubescens
Downy Birch

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1 reviews

None have taken root... they were properly pruned, as they should have been. I do not recommend naked roots. The same ones in containers have taken without any issue.

Christophe, 18/04/2022

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This plant carries a 24 months recovery warranty

More information

Betula pubescens, commonly known as the Downy Birch, is a species similar to the Common Birch but distinguished by its moderate size, preference for wetter soils, and duller bark colour. This deciduous tree has an upright, pyramidal habit, with a graceful elegance. Its bright green leaves are carried on hairy petioles. In autumn, they turn a warm golden yellow. With rapid growth and low soil requirements, this hardy birch will thrive particularly well in damp or wet areas of the garden.
Flower size
1 cm
Height at maturity
20 m
Spread at maturity
10 m
Exposure
Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -9°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil, Damp soil
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Best planting time October
Recommended planting time January to May, September to December
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Flowering time April to May
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Description

Betula pubescens, commonly known as the Downy Birch, is a species similar to the Warty Birch but distinguished by its smaller size, preference for wetter soils, and duller bark colour. This deciduous tree has an upright, pyramidal habit with a graceful elegance. Its bright green leaves are borne on hairy petioles. In autumn, they turn a warm golden yellow. Fast-growing and not demanding in terms of soil, this hardy birch will thrive particularly well in damp or wet areas of the garden.
 

Native to mainly central and northern Europe, as well as temperate Asia, the Betula pubescens is a tree of the birch family. Extremely cold-hardy, capable of thriving in acidic and wet as well as sandy, clayey, and limestone soils, it naturally has a pyramidal habit, a more or less straight trunk, and an overall oval, semi-open, airy crown carried by long almost upright branches, with twigs drooping at an acute angle. In the wild, some specimens reach a height of 25m (82ft).

It will typically reach a height of 20m (65ft 7in) with a spread of 10m (32ft 10in). The trunk (sometimes multiple) is covered in brown, smooth bark on young trees. Over time, it becomes white-brown with horizontal stripes, and peels off in flakes. The drooping branches are reddish-brown. The deciduous foliage appears early in spring and is borne on hairy petioles. It consists of diamond-shaped, tender green leaves, 2 to 5cm (0.8 to 2in) long, with simple toothed edges. They turn a beautiful yellow before falling. The inconspicuous flowering in April-May consists of pendulous, yellow-green catkins. The root system of this birch is taproot type, producing radiating lateral main roots with a very dense network of small surface-feeding roots.

 

The Downy Birch is a tree made for open spaces and light. Superbly structured, its white and slightly drooping branches stand out beautifully against a winter sky. In the garden, it requires no maintenance, is extremely hardy, and not very susceptible to diseases. It deserves a prominent place, either as a solitary tree at the edge of a large garden or at the centre of low shrub borders. It is also well-suited for wet and soggy areas of the garden. To cover the base of this tree, which dries out the soil from spring to summer, it is advisable to choose plants adapted to these conditions like heathers, small grasses like Stipa pennata, Carex, Ophiopogon. It can also be placed in front of a grove of trees chosen for their foliage or decorative bark, such as Acer griseum or Betula albosinensis. Maples, Nysa sylvatica, Chinese mahogany, or white willows will form a superb backdrop for this beautiful tree.

Betula pubescens - Downy Birch in pictures

Betula pubescens - Downy Birch (Foliage) Foliage
Betula pubescens - Downy Birch (Plant habit) Plant habit

Plant habit

Height at maturity 20 m
Spread at maturity 10 m
Habit conical, pyramidal
Growth rate fast

Flowering

Flower colour insignificant
Flowering time April to May
Bee-friendly Attracts pollinators
Flowering description catkins

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

pubescens

Family

Betulaceae

Other common names

Downy Birch

Origin

Central Europe

Product reference872011

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Planting and care

Downy Birch is easy to grow, requires little maintenance and can do without pruning. It is best planted in moist to wet soil, low in limestone, humus-bearing and slightly acidic to achieve beautiful foliage colours, but it will also thrive in neutral to slightly limestone soil, in full sun or partial shade. It tolerates clay, loam, sandy, peaty, and nutrient-poor soils that may occasionally dry out. This tree produces numerous superficial roots that can hinder the establishment of other plants beneath its crown, by drying out and depleting the soil. It does not tolerate sea spray well.

Planting period

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

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow, Woodland edge, Pond edge
Type of use Free-standing
Hardiness Hardy down to -9°C (USDA zone 8b) Show map
Ease of cultivation Beginner
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun, Partial shade
Soil pH Any
Soil type Clayey (heavy), Silty-loamy (rich and light), Stony (poor and well-drained)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil, Ordinary soil, deep.

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Soil moisture Moist soil, Damp soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Can be left in the ground
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