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Clarke's First Law: When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
Arthur C. Clarke

Ornamental Birches

Weeping Birch, Royal Frost, Parkland Pillar, and Dakota Pinnacle

All four of these are imports: One from Europe, the other two from Asia, and one that is a hybrid from three continents. Cultural requirements are similar to birch in general. The pests section for weeping birch applies to the Asian birches too.

Weeping Birch in Winter

Weeping Birch, awaiting a new spring dress. Even in winter there is grace and elegance.

This shows the branch structure and how pendulous the twigs are.

European Cutleaf Weeping Birch
Betula pendula laciniata

I resisted weeping birch for a long time. They get Bronze leaf borer, a problem with all birch, but especially foreign ones. But I've fallen in love with their grace, and people keep asking for them. Who am I to resist a new tree?

See the general page on Birches for using birches in the landscape.

Cutleaf birch leaves

Delicate leaves.


Features

Growth Requirements for All Birch

RF branch summer color

In summer Royal Frost looks the leaves have been dipped in dark chocolate.

RF twig showing fall colour

In fall it's NOT YELLOW. A big win here on the prairies.

Royal Frost

Royal Frost is a hybrid of of several birches. One parent is Grey birch, a birch native to hardwood forests of eastern North America. The other parent is a hybrid of a European weeping birch, and Asian birch.

Features:

I've had one in my demo garden for 4 years now. Seems to winter ok. Pics to come.

Parkland Pillar Asian Birch
Betula platyphylla 'Jefpark'

Parkland Piller in Summer

In summer Parkland is a good screening tree.

Head height width of Parkland at maturity is about 3-4 feet. It will be around 8 feet at it's widest point. In generaly the widest point is about 1/3 of way up the tree.

Parkland Pillar in Fall Colour

Just turning colour. The proportions remain about the same as the tree grows, with a fairly constant angle with the base. It will get 6-8 feet wide, but that wide point is overhead. This make for a good screening tree. You can prune the bottom branch tips if you find it intrudes over a path or into your yard.

PP in late fall

The leaves are losing their yellow. But they are still there. Look at the trees in the background. They are bare twigs now. This shot was taken in November. It was a late fall. Snow has come and gone twice already, and we got another dusting the night before. And it still has leaves.


Dakota Pinnacle in Fall Colour

Notice that where Parkland Pillar has a narrow branch angle, Dakota Pinnacle just has shorter branches. The result is that the wide part of the tree is closer to the bottom. This makes it more effective as a screening tree if you don't have a fence, but it is a wider tree -- about 10-12 feet at maturity.

Parkland Pillar is one of our skinny trees -- trees that you can use a row full to change your backyard into less of a gladiator's arena subject to the view of upstairs windows and balconies of surrounding houses.

This tree can make quite a statement as a driveway liner, especially with a backdrop of spruce. Put both trees on 15 foot spacing, with 12-15 feet between the two rows, with the birch covering the gaps. When young they won't look full enough. Put a dogwood between the birches, and a high bush cranberry or flame willow between the spruces. This will fill in fairly quickly and you will have a good fall and winter display too.

Dakota Pinnacle is a slightly wider tree. This gives it a more full appearance.

Bronze Birch Borer Galleries

The beasties munching leave a trail.


Pests and Diseases

European and Asian birches are the most susceptible, followed by our native paper birch. River birches seem to be immune. More info aboutBronze Birch Borer and Bronze Leaf Borer at U. Minn

Special Notes.



Inventory for native birch in the main Birch & Kin page.



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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.