Birch... you just can’t beat it
SILVER birches are elegant deciduous trees with a light canopy of gently cascading branches above greyish-white trunks marked with deep black fissures and cracks. They boast peeling bark, slender catkins in spring and small, triangular leaves that turn buttery- yellow in autumn, before littering the ground like confetti.
It is without doubt one of my favourite native trees to enjoy on a country ramble, but not necessarily a species that I would recommend for planting as a specimen in the garden. At least not when there are a whole host of less widely known birch trees that have far superior ornamental bark.
These varieties are particularly valuable in winter, helping to cheer up a dull day with their brightly coloured, textured or patterned trunks. The white, pink, red or brown stems feature bark that peels off in small curls or in large, scroll-like pieces. Many are adorned with raised horizontal marks called lenticels.
Known as betula in botanical Latin (derived from the Gaulish word betu, meaning bitumen, which was once extracted from its bark), birches are native to Europe, Asia and North America. They are medium-sized, fast-growing trees that are at their best for about 30 to 40 years before they start to go downhill. One of the most important is Betula utilis, a species discovered by plant-hunter Sir Joseph Hooker back in 1849. The so-called Himalayan birch is the parent of a host of showy varieties with bark ranging from creamy pink (Betula utilis ‘Forest Blush’) to snowy white (B. utilis var. jacquemontii ‘Jermyns’).
Apart from their good looks, birch trees are a magnet to all sorts of wildlife. They support many species of insects and spiders, which in turn provide food for hungry birds – our feathered friends also eat its seeds and buds, and make nests in its branches and within cavities in the trunks of older trees.
An individual ornamental birch makes a great specimen for a lawn, while those with larger gardens could plant a number of them a few feet apart to establish a small grove. Some nurseries offer multistemmed birches, where the main leader is pruned to create bushier plants that won’t grow as tall.
They look good with dogwoods, witch hazels, ornamental brambles and similar winter-interest plants, while their airy canopy of branches cast dappled shade, making them perfect for underplanting with hellebores, ferns, bergenia and early-flowering bulbs, such as snowdrops.
If you’re looking for inspirational birch displays, there are some great places to visit. Stone Lane Gardens in Devon has an atmospheric plantation, while plenty can be found at Dunham Massey, Cheshire. A grove of Himalayan white birches are the highlight of any winter trip to Anglesey Abbey, near Cambridge.
Arguably the best place to see birches is The Savill Garden and The Valley Gardens in Windsor Great Park, where more than 60 different ones can be found across its combined 155 acres. This includes two National Plant Collections – Himalayan birches and Chinese red birches.
Keep birches in good shape by removing dead or damaged growth, along with any smaller lower branches so you are left with a distinctive, clean trunk. Trees are best pruned when in full leaf as cutting when dormant can result in the wounds ‘bleeding’ sap, leading to a loss of vigour.
White-stemmed birch es look gorgeous if they’re cleaned occasionally to remove any dirt or green algae to leave gleaming bark.
The best way is to use a soft brush and warm water to give them a gentle scrub in autumn. As an alternative, it is possible to freshen them up with a pressure washer on a low setting.
Wash white trunks in autumn to make them look great