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    AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. They are:

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Betula pendula

silver birch

silver birch

© RHS 2002

44 suppliers RHS Plant Shop from £64.99

  • Other common names silver birch
    bed wen

    birk tree
    common birch
    European white birch
    lady birch
    lady of the woods
    warty birch
    weeping birch

    see more

  • Synonyms Betula alba
    Betula alba var. pendula

    Betula verrucosa

    see more

  • Family Betulaceae

  • Genus Betula can be deciduous trees or shrubs, usually colouring well in autumn and often with striking white, pink, or peeling brown bark; separate male and female catkins open before or with the leaves in spring

  • Details B. pendula is an elegant medium-sized deciduous tree with slender drooping twigs. Bark white, becoming black and rugged at base. Leaves ovate, yellow in autumn. Flowers in catkins

  • Plant range W Eurasia

Characteristics

  • Foliage Deciduous

  • Habit Pendulous/Weeping

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H7

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Partial Shade

  • Aspect North-facing or East-facing or South-facing or West-facing

  • Exposure Sheltered or Exposed

Soil

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Clay

    Clay

  • Sand

    Sand

  • Loam

    Loam

  • MoistureWell-drained, Moist but well-drained

  • SoilChalk, Clay, Sand, Loam

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height Higher than 12 metres

  • Ultimate spread wider than 8 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 20-50 years

How to grow

Cultivation Will grow in a wide range of situations. Effective when planted in small groups or as a multi-stemmed specimen

Propagation Propagate by seed, softwood cuttings or grafting

Suggested planting locations and garden types Low Maintenance Wildlife Gardens

How to care

Pruning Pruning group 1

Pests Sawflies, aphids and leaf- mining sawflies may be a problem

Diseases A rust and a leaf spot may be a problem

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RHS Plants Shop

Betula pendula

silver birch

Buy from £64.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

Buy from £64.99 at the RHS Plants Shop

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