Betula platyphylla (Japanese White Birch)
Betula platyphylla, commonly called Japanese white birch, is a medium to large-sized tree noted for its white bark, thin spreading branches, and slightly pendant branchlets. Featuring an elegant, pyramidal habit, it bears ovate, toothed, lime-green leaves, 3 in. long (7 cm), with some golden-yellow fall color before they shed for the winter. Attractive in all seasons, this elegant birch tree is an excellent landscape tree in cool northern climates.
Betula platyphylla, commonly called Japanese white birch, is a medium to large-sized tree noted for its white bark, thin spreading branches, and slightly pendant branchlets. Featuring an elegant, pyramidal habit, it bears ovate, toothed, lime-green leaves, 3 in. long (7 cm), with some golden-yellow fall color before they shed for the winter. In spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in drooping catkins while greenish female flowers appear in upright catkins. The female flowers give way to drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds.
Requirements
Hardiness | 4 – 7 |
---|---|
Heat Zones | 5 – 7 |
Climate Zones | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
Plant Type | Trees |
Plant Family | Betula – Birches |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest | Spring (Early,Mid,Late)Summer (Early,Mid,Late)FallWinter |
Height | 30' – 40' (9m – 12m) |
Spread | 15' – 25' (4.5m – 7.5m) |
Water Needs | Average |
Maintenance | Low |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Showy |
Tolerance | Deer |
Garden Uses | Beds and Borders |
Garden Styles | Informal and Cottage, Traditional Garden |