Betula pendula - Birch

Betula verrucosa (also known as B. alba or B. alba var. pendula), commonly called silver birch, verrucous birch or common birch, is a large deciduous tree with weeping branches. It is appreciated for its slender habit, its decorative bark turning white over time, and its golden autumn foliage. Fast-growing and not demanding in terms of soil, this hardy and generous birch is one of the must-haves to adopt in a large garden or park.

Originally from mainly central Europe and temperate Asia, Betula verrucosa, sometimes called the pendant birch, belongs to the Betulaceae family. Extremely resistant to cold, it is capable of thriving in acidic and waterlogged soils as well as sandy, clayey and limestone soils. It naturally has a pyramidal habit, a more or less straight trunk and a generally oval, semi-open, airy crown carried by long, almost upright branches, with pendulous twigs at an acute angle. In nature, some specimens reach a height of 30 m (98.4 ft). Its annual growth is about 35 cm (13.8 in) in height and 20 cm (7.9 in) in width.

It will reach an average height of 20 m (65.6 ft) with a spread of 10 m (32.8 ft). On young subjects, the trunk (sometimes multiple) is covered with a brown, smooth bark. Over time, it becomes white and peels off in flakes. On older subjects, it becomes black at the base of the trunk, with a rough, channelled appearance and deep cracks. The pendulous twigs are reddish-brown and dotted with verrucate lenticels. The deciduous foliage appears early in spring. It is composed of triangular leaves, 3 cm to 6 cm (1.2 in to 2.4 in) long, with double toothed edges, of a tender green colour. They turn a beautiful yellow colour before falling. The flowering is inconspicuous in March-April, with yellow-green catkins, 1 cm (0.4 in) long. The root system of this birch is of the taproot type, producing radiating lateral main roots with a very dense network of small surface feeding roots.

The silver birch is a tree born for open spaces and light. Superbly structured, its white and slightly pendulous branches stand out against a winter sky. In the garden, it requires no maintenance, is extremely resistant to cold and less susceptible to diseases. It deserves a prominent place as a standalone specimen, at the boundaries of a large garden or in the centre of low shrub masses. From spring to summer, the soil at the base of the tree quickly dries out. Therefore, choose plants adapted to these conditions: heathers, small grasses such as Stipa pennata, 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, a caramel tree, Chinese mahogany or a white willow will form a superb backdrop for this beautiful tree.