It is beautiful and slender and has a fascinating recognition value: the trees remain at least as distinctive due to their white bark as they are due to their resilient character. Here you will find out how you can plant the picturesque birch tree in the garden, as well as everything about optimal garden design. But first of all, what are the advantages and disadvantages of having your own birch tree in your garden?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a birch tree in the garden?
Planting a birch tree in the garden offers advantages such as decorative beauty, easy maintenance, and medicinal and compost benefits. Disadvantages include possible allergy problems, leaf fall in autumn and pollen in spring. Choose small-growing species and pay attention to light and water needs.
A birch tree in the garden: yes or no
If you are still considering whether planting a birch tree in your garden is the right choice, you will gain more clarity with the following pros and cons.
Advantages
- decorative ornamental tree in every season
- undemanding to care for, mainly requires a lot of light and water
- Leaves, bark, buds and birch sap can be used for medicine and cosmetics
- Leaves are very suitable for compost
Disadvantages
- You have to make sure that there are no allergy sufferers in the surrounding area
- In autumn there are a lot of leaves that have to be swept up with great difficulty
- After flowering in spring, the birch tree covers its surroundings with yellow pollen
Garden design with birches
If you want to design a new garden, you can create a wonderful focal point with a single birch tree. The striking white trunk can be used to beautifully emphasize the end of a visual axis or the center of the garden. Alternatively, you can create a poetic birch grove by either purchasing multi-stemmed trees directly or simply planting a small group of three to five birch trees together. When planning, consider:
- Birches are extremely light-requiring, so they need as free a location as possible with enough sunlight or sunny partial shade
- There is also a high water requirement, and surrounding plants quickly lose out to the energetic shallow roots
Small growing species for the garden
The widespread silver birch, up to 30 meters high, is not suitable for every garden. Thanks to their smaller size, the following types of birch fit perfectly even in smaller spaces:
- Himalayan birch (Betula Utilis Jaquemontii): does not grow taller than ten meters
- Golden birch (Betula ermanii): barely taller than Himalayan birch, but even slimmer
- Japan birch (Betula japonica)
Preserving the beauty of the birch tree
In urban gardens, the beautiful white bark quickly takes on a dirty greenish coating. It may therefore make sense to gently scrub the trunk with a brush or sponge if necessary. However, avoid using the high-pressure cleaner to avoid causing damage. Maintaining the intense white color not only improves the appearance, but also helps the birch to protect it from the sun. Finally, the color reflects the light.