Betulla

Class

Dicotyledons

Division

Angiospermae

Family

Betulaceae

Order

Fagales

Genus

Betula

Species

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Description

Deciduous tree up to 20 metres tall with an upright, slender habit and an ovoid, spreading crown. The high ornamental value is conferred by the distinctive pearly flaking bark with black fissures and the autumn foliage effect during which the leaves take on a luminous golden hue. Suitable for green areas, both private and public, in hills and mountains as it does not tolerate intense summer heat while withstanding winter cold well.

Variety description

A tree indigenous to the European area and of medium to large size, i.e. between 10 and 20 metres depending on planting location. Elegant habit and typical of cool climates. It suffers from the heat of summer and urban centres. It forms an orderly, large ovoid foliage with deciduous, light green foliage and golden yellow in autumn. It develops a very branched and broad root. White, leafy ornamental bark tree. Plant resistant to moist and peaty soils. Tree that grows well in hills and mountains, but is widely used for ornamental purposes in parks, gardens and urban landscaping. Favours hill and mountain landscaping. It does not tolerate pruning, especially in the lowlands because it dries out in summer temperatures if stripped. It is resistant to urban tree diseases.

Curiosities and special features

The term Betula derives from the Gallic bitumen as the Gauls extracted tar from the plant, while the epithet alba is derived from the typical colour of the bark.

The birch is not only widely used for ornamental purposes but also in other sectors, the wood being required for making furniture or utensils as well as fuel and as a source of charcoal; buds, leaves and sap are instead used in herbal medicine, for their diuretic and depurative properties, and in cosmetics for scalp compresses and foot baths.

Origin and distribution

The genus Betula comprises about 35 species of small and large trees or shrubs widespread in the temperate and boreal zones of the northern hemisphere; the genus is also divided into four series: Albae, Costatae, Acuminatae and Humiles.
B. alba is native to the range extending from European territories with a temperate-cold climate to eastern Russia.

Leaf

The deciduous leaves of the birch have a distinctive heart-shaped lamina with a doubly toothed margin.

Flowering period

It blooms from late winter to mid-spring for a duration of 10 to 20 days during which unisexual flowers collected in pendulous catkins can be observed.

Leaf colour

Solid colours that change to a golden-yellow during the autumn period to great ornamental effect.

Plant height

The height of the plant varies from 5 to 20 m, depending on where it is planted.

Lifespan

Polyennial deciduous tree.

Where to plant

Because of its size and the elegance conferred by the colour shade of its bark and foliage, the birch is suitable for rock gardens, open fields, terraces, green roofs

Stem

The stem is woody with bark that is smooth and brownish at first and then takes on the typical pearly white hue with black cracks and becomes flaky in silvery horizontal bands.

Growth

A medium to vigorous growing tree.

Plant habit

The white birch develops an erect habitus with a broad, upward-expanding, ovoid crown.

Branching

The branching is on the whole average with ascending primary branches and thin, slightly drooping secondary branches.

PH

It prefers a soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5.

Soil preparation

Transplant between late autumn and the end of winter with the soil in temperate conditions, choosing the most suitable place in relation to the plant's needs, using a spade to make the planting hole at least one third the size of the root or root ball volume and removing any weeds and bulky pebbles. Add organic substance and apply slow-release organic or chemical fertiliser for background fertilisation to ensure the nutrients the plant needs in the early post-transplant phases.

Sun exposure

A heliophilous and hygrophilous tree species, transplant in temperate soil exposed to half shade, full sun.

Ideal climate and temperature

Tree suitable for temperate and cool environments but not for warm Mediterranean environments at low altitudes below 800 metres. The ideal temperature is between 5 and 25 °C The biological temperature is between -20 and 35 °C

Use

For the elegance of its bearing as well as the decorative value conferred by its distinctive bark and autumn foliage effect, it is appreciated as a plant in

Outdoor ornamental Outdoor Landscape Design Landscaping

Hardiness

A moderately hardy plant, it withstands the winter cold well, even in frozen ground conditions, while it does not tolerate the intense summer heat of the plains.

Soil

It adapts to different soil conditions, however, the ideal soil for better rooting and subsequent vegetative development of white birch is medium-textured or sandy, as well as well-draining and slightly acidic.

Difficulty

Cultivation is easy with an overall low level of management effort once the plant is established in the new planting site.

Growing tips

Here are some specific cultivation measures and aspects to achieve better vegetative growth:

Balanced fertilisation Avoid over-watering

Combinations with other plants

Suitable both as a single specimen or in homogeneous groups as well as for compositions with other species, e.g. with bulbous, ground cover or small shrubs in the foliage, achieving highly ornamental landscape effects.

Planting

For transplanting, adopt an average density of 1500 plants/ha, choosing healthy specimens, free from abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Always identify the planting site in advance in relation to the growth conditions required by the species according to the principle of 'the right plant in the right place'.

It is advisable to carry out light pruning of the fine roots and foliage to balance the root part with the aerial part; then place the root ball in the previously dug planting hole, keeping the plant's collar off the soil surface and making sure to water immediately after planting without causing water stagnation.

Pruning

Carry out pruning to shape the shape of the foliage, determining its structure, as well as adjusting the scaffolding of the branches.

Propagation

Multiplication can be by seed or by cuttings.

Watering

When transplanting, assist the plant to allow it to develop its root system in the best possible way in the new site by keeping it at a constant humidity free of water stagnation and dryness. Afterwards, prevent water saturation conditions and give quantities with frequencies and doses also commensurate with the climatic trend during the different seasons.

Fertilising

When preparing the soil for transplanting, perform a background fertilisation by burying organic or slow-release chemical fertiliser specifically for ornamental plants.

Pet safety

Ingestion toxicity for pets not known, consider case-specific and do not administer.

Edibility for humans

Non-edible Species.

Toxicity for humans

Toxicity not known, however do not ingest any part of the plant.

Tip

The agronomic characteristics of the cultivation nursery must also be possessed by the storage nursery for plants purchased by the gardener and which he does not intend to use immediately after purchase. If the tree and shrub plants are to remain on the gardener's farm for a longer period of time, they must be cultivated with any transplanting or repotting for growth.