Read the profile here for informative information about the leaf and fruit of a silver birch. Care tips explain how to cut sand birch trees correctly, identify diseases and, of course, combat them.
What are the characteristics of the silver birch?
The silver birch (Betula pendula) is a deciduous tree with hanging side branches, diamond-shaped leaves and small, winged nuts as fruits. It flowers from April to May with greenish-yellow catkins and has a characteristic black and white bark.
Profile
- Scientific name: Betula pendula
- Synonyms: sand birch, white birch, warty birch
- Growth type: deciduous tree
- Growth habit: hanging side branches
- Leaf: diamond-shaped, alternate
- Fruit: Nuts
- Flower: Kitten
- Flowering period: April to May
- Root: Shallow-rooted
- Special feature: black and white bark
- Winter hardiness: hardy
- Use: house tree
Leaf
The silver birch is one of the first tree species to put on its foliage in spring. The following features characterize the sheet:
- Leaf shape: stalked, triangular or diamond-shaped, tapering
- Leaf edge: double sawn
- Size: 5 cm to 7 cm long
- Arrangement: alternate
- Leaf color: light green with yellowish autumn color
Fruit
From August to September, myriads of seeds ripen into tiny fruits. The fruit of a silver birch is a 3 millimeter long nut with extremely delicate wings. The feather-light fruit is carried through the air by the wind. She can cover long distances. If a nut lands on damp ground, the seeds germinate in no time. With up to 50,000 nuts per square meter, the undemanding white birch conquers almost every area.
Bloom
In April and May, the silver birch is a popular destination for hungry insects because it is flowering time. The greenish-yellow catkins are nutritious pasture for bees. The sand birch had already put on its buds last year, which can be clearly seen on the hanging branches during the winter. The white birch is one of the monoecious, separate-sex tree species with female and male flowers, which can be recognized by the following attributes:
- Female flower: single, erect, ovate to cylindrical, 2 cm to 4 cm tall
- Male flower: hanging, solitary or grouped, 4 cm to 12 cm long
So that self-pollination does not occur, the female flowers are protected in buds and only unfold parallel to the leaves emerging. At this point, the male flowers have long since released most of their pollen.
Bark
When young, the silver birch has smooth, bright white bark that reflects sunlight. Botanists interpret the white, smooth bark as a protective measure against bark burn, which is caused by intense sunlight. As the tree ages, the bark peels off in narrow strips. Dark brown to black bark appears in places. This creates the accentuated black and white, unmistakable appearance.
Usage
With a growth height of up to 30 meters and a growth width of up to 10 meters, the pure original species Betula pendula is far too large for the normal hobby garden. Due to the shallow root system, the mighty tree is threatened by windthrow. Another exclusion criterion for planting in the front garden or near the house. Refined by the skilled hand of the master gardener, the silver birch becomes a picturesque house tree suitable for the garden. The following table compares the silver birch with its two most beautiful finishes:
| Type of origin | Weeping Birch | Tristis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Betula pendula | Betula pendula Youngii | Betula pendula Tristis |
| Growth height | 15 m to 30 m | 4 m to 7 m | 6 m to 8 m |
| Growth width | 7 m to 10 m | 2, 50 m to 4 m | 1, 50 m to 4 m |
| Crown | high arched | umbrella-like, overhanging | upright, multi-layered |
| Speciality | Pioneer Tree | hanging branches down to the ground | dark green leaves |
| Winter hardiness | hardy down to -40° C. | hardy down to -20° C. | hardy down to -20° C |
| Growth | 30 cm to 60 cm | 20 cm to 30 cm | 20 cm to 45 cm |
Did you know that young silver birch leaves are edible, cambium wood is processed into flour or sugar and birch wood burns like tinder? The following video is packed with exciting information about one of the most versatile tree species on our doorstep:
Video: Silver birch - pioneer tree with numerous benefits
Planting silver birch trees
The best time to plant is in autumn, when the deciduous sand birch has shed its leaves. Now the young tree can fully concentrate on the vital growth of its roots. A silver birch is planted in a sunny location in any normal garden soil. You can improve heavy clay soil with sand beforehand. A support rod protects the shallow-rooted plant from wind. A thick layer of leaves acts as a natural winter protection. On the day of planting, muddy the tree disc. Please water regularly in the following weeks.
Excursus
There you go – weeping birch practices aggressive grinding techniques
The casually hanging, thin branches of a weeping birch have a lot to offer. With a dense coating of cork warts, the seemingly harmless twigs cut a path through neighboring treetops. An unbeatable advantage for the light tree species in the fight for sunlight. For this reason, warty birch trees are always planted at a generous distance of 6 to 8 meters.
Care for silver birch trees
The undemanding silver birch makes gardening life easy. Watering is only necessary when the heavens keep their floodgates closed. Nutrient supply is on the care plan once a year. Expert pruning care takes the strong flow of sap into account. Two diseases make the sand birch a green problem child. Read important care tips in the following sections:
- Watering: in summer drought or winter frost, preferably with rainwater
- Fertilize: with compost in March or April
- Transplanting: possible without risk of failure in the first five years before the leaves emerge
Apart from a layer of leaves in the year of planting, silver birch trees do not require any additional winter protection measures.
Cutting
In late summer, the silver birch tolerates moderate care pruning. This is the best time for slight corrections in this year's growth to shorten annoying, overly long branches. Cut on an overcast day because bright sun will dry the bleeding cuts. Place the scissors at a slight angle so that the plant sap drips onto the garden floor and does not stick to the buds that have already formed.
For more extensive pruning measures, we recommend winter tree pruning between October and the end of January. This choice of date prevents heavy sap flow and complies with the regulations in the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Measure the cutting circumference according to the following rule of thumb: as little as possible - as much as necessary. Normally it is enough if you thin out dead branches and shorten branches that are in an unfavorable position.
Diseases
Two fungal infections cause headaches on silver birch trees in the hobby garden. The first symptoms of the dreaded anthracnose are wilted leaves with brown spots and dried catkins. As the disease progresses, the wilting symptoms spread across the entire crown and the diseased sand birch is doomed. Cut off affected branches early and dispose of the clippings in organic waste or household waste.
Rust fungi make life difficult for your silver birch when yellowish to orange pustules spread on the leaves. Pluck off infected leaves. If entire branches are already infected, cut the shoot back to he althy wood. Rust fungi primarily target plants in drought stress. Therefore, please check the water supply of your silver birch tree.
Popular varieties
In the well-stocked tree nursery there are further refined silver birches to discover with decorative attributes:
- Blood Birch: Betula pendula Purpurea boasts dark red leaves and bronze-red fall color, 10 m to 12 m tall.
- Dalecarlica: Slit-leaved silver birch, slender, narrow crown, golden yellow autumn color, 10 m to 15 m tall.
- Columnar birch Fastigiata: taut, columnar crown, extravagantly twisted or wavy branches, 15 m to 20 m tall.
- Long Trunk: impresses with light green leaves, yellow autumn color and slender growth, 15 m to 20 m tall.
FAQ
What is the difference between downy birch and silver birch?
When comparing downy birch vs. silver birch, the condition of the soil makes the difference. The undemanding silver birch reaches its limits in the swampy, waterlogged subsoil. This is where the downy birch (Betula pubescens) territory begins. The downy birch can be recognized by its tightly upright or horizontally projecting branches. The smooth bark is dark red-brown, becoming light brown to tan with age and finally gray-white.
Is the silver birch suitable as a bonsai?
Among bonsai gardeners, the silver birch is considered demanding and squeamish. The birch tree reacts to soil that is too dry or too wet by dropping individual branches. In the context of incision care, infections often occur in bleeding incisions. A sand birch as a bonsai cannot tolerate repotting or changing the previous substrate mixture. It follows that cultivating silver birch trees as bonsai is a difficult undertaking for beginners.
Is sand birch good for a bee-friendly garden?
If bees had a say in the planting plan, they would advocate birch trees. The nutritious catkins hang on the branches when most of the pollen donors are still in deep hibernation. Because the sand birch is one of the most widespread native tree species, wild bees, honey bees and bumblebees do not have to look long for their food source. In fact, the silver birch is an ecological treasure, as more than 160 species of insects find living space and food here.
Can birch trees cause an allergy?
It is estimated that almost 50 percent of all pollen allergy sufferers react to the flowers of silver birch and other birch species. This circumstance has earned Betula species the second name allergy tree. The dreaded birch pollen accumulation extends over the entire flowering period from the end of March/beginning of April to the end of May/beginning of June. Increased pollen levels can be expected in mid-April.
Can I plant a silver birch in a container?
Wedding birch trees can certainly be kept in large containers. The most important requirement is a regular supply of water and nutrients. Given its rapid growth, you should repot the birch into a larger container every two years. Winter protection is also necessary because all the trees in the pot are no longer as frost hardy as when they were planted out in the bed. We recommend a refined sand birch from the nursery, such as weeping birch or Tristis.
