Overview
Also known as Hairy Birch, this slender and deciduous tree is fast growing and noted for attracting wildlife.
Description
The Downy Birch is more upright than silver birch, its branches are elegant and droopy forming a light canopy when it becomes a mature tree, with heights reaching up to 30 metres. The name Hairy Birch is due to its soft downy leaf stalks, with leaves that are triangular and rounded at the base. The bark of downy birch is less white and papery than the silver birch. This tree is monoecious which means it has both male and female catkins which appear in April and May and are pollinated by the wind.
Planting Position
Betula pubescens grows well on most soils and is very tolerant of damp soil, it is therefore generally found more in the West of the UK. It prefers sunny to semi-shady sContainers as opposed to complete shade.
Attributes
Downy Birch is an extremely tough and heavy wood. It provides food and habitat for lots of insects that feed many other species up the food chain. Birds like to eat the seeds from the catkins.
Betula pubescens | Downy Birch Tree | Bare Root
Whilst smaller trees are often cheaper, easier to handle and more forgiving in terms of their level of care required, a more mature tree can provide a fantastic instant impact if you are able to care for it over the first few years.
- Standard or Feathered?
Standard trees - have a clear stem up to a minimum of 1.8m and a well-formed head of branches.
Feathered trees - Usually has an upright central leader and side brancehs that emerge down the main stem.
- Which Girth Size Should I Choose?
Our most common sizes we offer are relatively easy to ship and plant. The measurement is the circumference of the trunk at 1m above the roots.
6-8cm girth - 2.50m to 2.75m in height
8-10cm girth - 2.75m to 3.00m in height
- Standard or Feathered?
