Birch and related trees
Betulaceae -- Alder, Birch, Hazel, Hornbeam
Alder is a little known tough small tree, large shrub, nitrogen fixing, and generally tolerant of abuse and neglect.
Hazel are the source of hazelnuts. Alas the one that is native the nut only gets to be about the size of pencil eraser. It's an inconspicuous understory shrub in poplar bush. We're trying the American hazelnut. We'll see if it survives.
Hornbeam's other common name is iron wood. I've tried it, and my above ground system for overwintering doesn't work. More news about it soon.
Birches
Birch, however is the big star in the group. Birches are famous for their white peeling bark, but they aren't all white.
Birch along a pond. In the landscape birch look good in random small clumps.
Birches tend to be short lived, fast growing trees. Most grow about 2 feet a year while young. Mature height normally about 30-60 feet. Lifespan 30-100 years.
Features
- Birch bark is papery, white or off white for most trees. Pink to chocolate for River birches.
- Flower is inconspicuous but provides early spring pollen for bees.
- Clear yellow fall colour
Birches can be planted alone, or in clumps. Some are naturally multi-trunked. Consider birches:
- If you have an area that is low, and is wet.
- If you have a pond, and want to put a clump of birch on one edge.
- If you want to create contrast with the pale birch bark against a dark background of spruce.
- If you want a quick tree.
- If you want a private bower created by a weeping tree.
Do not plant a birch:
- If your soil is sandy, and drains quickly.
- If your soil is solid clay with puddles in spring for extended periods of time.
- You can't provide a lot of extra water either through natural drainage or a commitment to watering regularly.
Other good places to use birch:
- Near downspouts. Sculpt the land a bit to encourage water to go toward the tree.
- 8 feet or so off the downhill edge of a concrete or asphalt patio or driveway.
- In a swale beside a crowned driveway.
- Adjacent to the roadside ditch. (Water them until they are as tall as the distance to the ditch.)
Birch bark is not always white. On this one, the bark is an attractive salmon color. (This colour is not common, and is likely the result of the birch's promiscuous breeding habits)
Requirements.
- All birch are water lovers. Every large old birch I've seen has either been near a spring, creek bed, or septic field. (NOT recommended...) I suspect that the rep they have for short lives comes from outgrowing their water supply. Water it regularly, and it will keep growing.
- Loam to clay loam soils. Does not do well in pure clay or in sandy or rocky soils.
- Full sun to partial shade
Care
- It's ok to take the surface loose layers of bark off the tree. This detracts from the interest in my opinion, but the peels are a fire hazard and can run up the tree.
- Water wide and deep. The roots run out a long way from the tree -- several times its height. Best if grown where natural drainage moves water toward it. Several times a summer water deeply E.g: Set the oscillating sprinkler on max, and water until you have put down 4 inches of water. Do this for a tree height in all directions. *Fertilize in October and June. See the link on Fertilizing *If you need to prune, do it in late summer, early fall as the leaves turn. This is your minimum time for spreading infection, and reduces sap bleeding.
Pests and Diseases
- Bronze Birch Borer. This can kill your tree. Maintaining a high population of bug eating birds, and reducing stress by watering the tree are key to prevention. European and Asian birches are the most susceptible, followed by our native paper birch. River birches seem to be immune. More details in the Ornamental Birch section.
- Birch Leaf Miner Usually a minor pest outside of very high density seedling nurseries.
- The sap is sweet. Some birds, flickers and sapsuckers, will peck a series of holes in the bark to get the sap that flows. Patch with roofing tar. Catch the first half dozen and the birds figure out that you aren't running a Birch Sap Bar.
The birches have a tendency to cross pollenate. Natural hybrids are common.
Not all birches have white bark. However they all have barks that differ in appearance between young branches and old. When young, (up to about thumb thick) the branches are dark brown or a reddish brown. In the 4th year or so, the branch will start going lighter starting at its base. By the time the branch is two inches thick it will have the papery layers and mature appearance.
Birch Trees at Sherwood's Forests
I carry four varieties of birch at this point. You will find them in the Native Birches and Ornamental Birches sections.
Inventory tables are double rows to make them usable on small screens.
Common name and container in column 1.
Count is how many we think we have left. Price is per tree.
Height will be there next year, we hope.
Leaf -- Birch
| Common Name Container |
Count Price |
Height (feet) |
|
| Birch, Dakota Pinnacle #10 Std pot (30 qt) |
3 $120.00 |
||
| Birch, Dakota Pinnacle #5 Std pot (15 qt) |
29 $75.00 |
||
| Birch, Dakota Pinnacle #5 Std pot (15 qt) |
22 $90.00 |
||
| Birch, Dwarf 1000 ml Styroblock |
55 $20.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #1 Std pot (3 qt) |
14 $15.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
5 $100.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
19 $120.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
9 $140.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
9 $160.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
1 $200.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #2 Std pot (6 qt) |
160 $27.50 |
||
| Birch, paper #2 Std pot (6 qt) |
15 $35.00 |
||
| Birch, paper #2 Std pot (6 qt) |
60 $37.50 |
||
| Birch, paper #2 Tall pot (6 qt) |
60 $30.00 |
||
| Birch, paper 1000 ml Styroblock |
35 $5.50 |
||
| Birch, paper 125 ml plug - 10/bundle |
160 $3.50 |
||
| Birch, paper #N/A |
-20 $100.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
4 $90.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
1 $100.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
8 $120.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
4 $140.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
10 $160.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
3 $175.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
1 $200.00 |
||
| Birch, paper Clump Form Ball and Burlap |
4 $175.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar Ball and Burlap |
-7 $90.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
24 $160.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
7 $175.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
44 $200.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
3 $225.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #10 Growbag (42 qt) |
2 $275.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #10 Std pot (30 qt) |
22 $160.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #10 Std pot (30 qt) |
7 $175.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #15 Std pot (45 qt) |
30 $275.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #5 Std pot (15 qt) |
3 $75.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #5 Std pot (15 qt) |
20 $100.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #7 Std pot (21 qt) |
3 $120.00 |
||
| Birch, Parkland Pillar #8 Std pot (24 qt) |
-1 $120.00 |
||
| Birch, Royal Frost hybrid #15 Std pot (45 qt) |
15 $175.00 |
||
| Birch, Winter Splendor #15 Std pot (45 qt) |
2 $300.00 |
||
| Last Update: 2024-Jan-21 | |||
Inventory tables are double rows to make them usable on small screens.
Common name and container in column 1.
Count is how many we think we have left. Price is per tree.
Height will be there next year, we hope.
Leaf -- Alder
| Common Name Container |
Count Price |
Height (feet) |
|
| Alder, Green #1 Std pot (3 qt) |
50 $22.50 |
||
| Alder, Green #2 Std pot (6 qt) |
24 $35.00 |
||
| Alder, Green #2 Std pot (6 qt) |
330 $35.00 |
||
| Alder, Green #5 Std pot (15 qt) |
44 $60.00 |
||
| Alder, Green 1000 ml Styroblock |
100 $10.00 |
||
| Alder, Green 125 ml plug - 10/bundle |
330 $3.50 |
||
| Last Update: 2024-Jan-21 | |||
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Sherwood's Forests is located about 75 km southwest of Edmonton, Alberta. Please refer to the map on our Contact page for directions.