Paper Birch Tree

The Paper Birch tree is a classic, and a tree native to northern zones. Incredibly cold-resistant and happy even in zone 3, this iconic tree is renowned for its beautiful white bark all year round; the clusters of delicate yellow-green catkins that decorate the branches in early spring; its heart-shaped leaves fluttering in the slightest summer breeze, and the beautiful golden-yellow tones of fall. It delivers year-round interest and beauty, and is the perfect choice when you want to get a garden going on a new plot. Fast-growing, plant a single tree out on your lawn, or plant a group of three or five close together to make a wonderful clump of indescribable beauty. Heck, you hardly need anything else in your garden, so lovely is this tree, and it’s Nature’s gift to cold zone gardeners, where it will be happy to look great all year round. Grow it too when you want to create the light, dappled shade woodland plants love, and even grow it in large pot on a terrace for years to make an oasis of natural beauty.

• Snow-white peeling bark contrasts with the orange-brown of younger stems
• Beautiful fall colors of golden yellows
• Grows best in colder zones
• Grows quickly – 3 or even 4 feet a year
• The perfect tree to get a new garden going strong

Your Paper Birch will grow best in a sunny place, and is happy on moist but well-drained soil, as well as areas that are periodically flooded. Your garden is clay or alkaline soil? No worries, the Paper Birch tolerates them well. Avoid stressing young trees by watering them regularly during summer, but once well-established they are tolerant of summer periods of dryness. Tolerates salt-spray and runoff too, and stays pest-free in colder zones – not a good choice above zone 6 or 7. Remove lower branches as it grows while they are still small to avoid making scars on that beautiful white trunk.