Betula Jacquemontii Birch
The Himalayan Birch (Betula) Jacquemontii has attractive bright white bark and dark green leaves
Carefully positioned, specimen trees can transform that rather nice garden into something sensational.
The Silver Birch native to Scotland is very effective creating dappled shade with its small leaves.
The Himalayan Birch (Betula) Jacquemontii has attractive bright white bark and dark green leaves, which turn yellow in autumn, and yellowy brown catkins in spring.
An elegant tree that is perfect for all gardens, large or small. It can be grown as a specimen in the lawn, grown in a group in a woodland or just planted as a feature in the garden border.
If you are looking for maximum impact go for the multi stemmed variety which will show off the white peeling bark magnificently.
The vast majority of deciduous trees require pruning when dormant. This is not the case with Birch as it tends to bleed profusely if pruned at this time. Pruning should be carried out July/August when the fresh growth has matured. Now I say this, but do I always practise what I preach no! For one thing, Birch doesn’t exactly lend itself to hard pruning however the Jacquemontii in our garden had well and truly outgrown its position and I had no choice. Why did I prune in January, well have you ever pruned a large tree in mid Summer with all that leaves to consider.
However pruning at the wrong time, it is a chance we take and lets face it more often than not you will get away with it, mind you, cross a quiet country road with your eyes shut and you will possibly get away with it nine times out of ten. Do a google search on pruning Birch and you will probably get more information that says to prune when dormant, rather than otherwise. Ask a tree surgeon of any repute and see what he says. www.ayrshiretreesurgeons.co.uk/tree pruning
Growing conditions – Position in full sun/partial shade in any reasonable garden soil.
Height – Can reach 10mtrs after a period of 25yrs
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Another Tree in the woodland area which was also now creating too much shade was the Sycamore. I had to get the tree surgeon for this one.
The Sycamore before pruning
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The Sycamore after being pruned
This method of pruning is referred to as (raising the crown) which is the removal of lower branches, which will allow a bit more light to get through. Mmm, that lowest one on the left should have been taken out.
If you happen to leave a comment I will be sure to visit your site and do the same
It’s refreshing to read something that makes great sense from someone who clearly knows arboroculture. I get so many people going to experts only to come to me afterwards because they appear not to know what they are talking about. Thank you – David Robbins
Yes Christine, I am wishing I had not been so severe with my Birch.
Thank you Alistair – you’ve helped me to identify yet another of my trees! I have two of these in my garden although mine don’t look as good anymore. The “tree feller” guys cut them back drastically last year and from what I’ve now read, this is not good – they shouldn’t be cut back more than 25% at a time. I hope they recover to their former beauty again.
I am glad that I can be of some help, I look forward to my visits on your blog.
Hi Alistair, Im learning something new about pruning..’raising the crown’ because I have a few flowering shrubs to prune. Love that white bark birch tree, just nice for a garden shade.
Hi Janet, the more I have read about tree pruning the more confused I get, I think I have been too severe in pruning my Birch on this occasion and if it doesn’t survive I honestly think it will be because of this. The Sycamore I just had the crown raised.
Hi Alistair – one of my favourite trees! I wanted a multi stemmed myself, but couldn’t afford it at the time, hence my mini grove of 3. Yours looks lovely. I am a big fan of raising the crown of birches so that you can admire a length of bare trunk. Like Edith I find it hard to grow things around the base of mine though. I am still fascinated by the conflicting advice on when best to prune Himalayan birches! The RHS pruning and training book says late summer to mid winter, your tree surgeon says July/August, mine said when dormant, and I’ve found pretty much everything in between on the web! I guess we stick to what we know works for us, it may vary because of climate or something for all I know. I’ve never known ours to weep, so I will stick to mid winter 😉
Yes Carolyn, I think it is true that the Birch prefers the cooler climate. I will not be surprised if I have killed our Jacquemontii with being too severe with my pruning.
What you say is true Donna, I suspect I may have been a little over zealous on this occasion. I have just inserted a new plugin which is supposed to inform you by email that a reply has been made to your comment. Would you be kind enough to let me know if it has worked.
I use the birch a lot in design because of the year round interest. And as you mentioned, proper pruning is a must. They are elegant looking trees pruned correctly.
Alistair, White-barked birches have real trouble surviving in our heat, but Scotland must be perfect for them. They are an abundant native tree on the island in Maine where my family has a home. Betual jacquemontii is supposed to do better in the heat than other species, and Longwood Gardens near me has some beautiful specimens. I, however, managed to kill mine. Yours is beautiful. Carolyn
Thanks for the visit Carol, yes I think it is a bit of a ploy to get them back sooner than you otherwise would have.
Holley, thanks for the visit, Birch trees are indeed very beautiful.
I think these are some of the most beautiful trees. I don’t have one in my garden, but always admire them in others’.
I love your Birch Alistair . . . so lovely in color and form. Interesting about the pruning and I would say yes to the lower branch being taken off. I have found similar oversights after having an expert over to prune large trees.
Your photos are lovely…Thanks for the tips. But there isn’t much difference for us whether we prune in July or Dec. 🙂 I try to avoid pruning early in the morning as the injured tree would suffer heat throughout the day.
Not sure what the problem is there b-a-g
I’ve never heard of “raising the crown” – My mum’s neighbours have a huge sycamore tree. In the summer, the leaves get covered with red suckers which drip sticky stuff over the whole vegetable patch.
Edith,I have just planted the red form of New Dawn at the base of our Birch in the hope that it would wind its way through at the base of the lower branches. You have me wondering If I am being optimistic.
Hi Donna, you really do get severe Winters in your part of the world, never mind your Summer makes up for it.
Dear Alistair, I do love Betula Jacquemontii and agree with you that they are perfect for smaller gardens as they are very neat in growth. They give so much interest in both the beautiful white bark and the autumn leaf colour that they well earn their growing space. The only difficulty is finding plants to grow beneath them I find as few things seem to wish to thrive at the feet of these trees.
what a lovely tree…here we have native birches with peeling bark but they tend to bend and break due to all the snow if they are not in a protected area….making them a species in your yard is taking a risk…my dad tried for yrs replacing the tree that would die or break under the snow and ice and eventually had to give up…he would have loved your tree…lovely pruning of that sycamore!