Betula nigra Shiloh Splash - Birch

Betula nigra 'Shilo Splash' is a recent and still little-known selection of the American black birch. It is seductive with the delicacy and bright colour of its small variegated foliage, tinged with pink when it buds. It is also splendid in autumn, dressed in golden-yellow. This tree with its slender habit is also attractive in winter, adorned with bark that exfoliates in large undulating plates to reveal a shiny copper-brown skin. The black birch is also a vigorous species, particularly adaptable to climate and remarkably resistant to diseases and pests. This one, with slower growth, can be grown as a large bush. It is perfect for brightening shaded areas of the garden, in damp or drier soil, in warm regions as well as cold climates. 

The Black Birch, or Betula nigra, is a deciduous tree native to warm regions in the southeastern USA. In nature, it is found along rivers and swamps, although it can grow in much drier conditions. Commonly known in English as River Birch. The 'Shiloh Splash' cultivar was discovered a few years ago by John Allen of Shiloh Nursery in North Carolina. It stands out from the typical variety with its even more ornamental appearance, largely due to its smaller, finely toothed foliage wonderfully variegated with cream on a green background. This medium-sized tree, reaching 4 m (13 ft 1 in) in height at 10 years and 9 m (29 ft 6 in) at maturity, develops at a moderate rate, often with multiple trunks. Its habit is naturally pyramidal and irregular. With age, the tree acquires a crown 4 to 5 m (13 ft 1 in to 16 ft 5 in) wide, branching out at a height of 3 to 6 m (9 ft 10 in to 19 ft 8 in) above the ground, with several drooping branches. The trunks of young specimens are silver-white, until a fairly advanced age. The bark of old trees, a brown colour, is grooved at the base and exfoliates in large flakes, revealing the lighter-coloured new bark. The young branches are brownish and dotted with dark lenticels. 

The 'Shiloh Splash' black birch is quite tolerant of soil, as long as it is not too dry or chalky. It is useful for drying out overly wet soils in summer. It works wonders in partial shade and its slender silhouette and moderate growth are real assets for medium-sized gardens. As a street tree, it can also be planted in small groups of 3 specimens or highlighted in the centre of a bed, simply surrounded by perennial ground covers such as lungworts, Trachystemon orientalis, or a carpet of wood anemones. It lends itself to superb combinations with other remarkable plants in winter, such as multicoloured bark Cornus or winter-flowering and fragrant Hamamelis and Sarcococca. Its autumn foliage will blend well with that of Nyssa sylvatica in marshy soil or at the edge of a pond; and with that of deciduous viburnums or Parrotia persica in drier soil.