Growing the Renaissance Oasis Birch

Size and Appearance

The Renaissance Oasis Birch is a pyramidal to oval, upright deciduous tree with a tall, straight trunk. It is very fast-growing, establishing very quickly in your garden and growing at least 4 feet a year, and sometimes as much as 6 feet a year. This means that within 10 short years it will be about 25 feet tall and around 15 feet wide. It will continue to grow, more slowly now, eventually reaching 50 feet and even more. You can expect it to live around 75 years. It soon develops a clear section of trunk, and while young, and on young twigs no more than 3 inches in diameter, the bark is mahogany reddish-brown. So will the young trunk be, but don’t worry, this variety becomes white quicker than most other white birch, and within a few year the trunk and older branches will be beautiful snowy-white, with some black markings. Older trunks have long peeling strips of bark, which reveal bright pink-beige new bark. That soon turn white too. At any time of the year the trunk is beautiful.

In spring clusters of hanging greenish-yellow catkins appear before the leaves, once your tree is a few years old, and these make a charming early spring sight, fluttering in the breezes. Leaves soon appear, and these are pointed ovals, on long stalks, with deeply serrated edges. Leaves are 3 to 5 inches long, and 1½ to 3 inches across. The long stalks allow them to flutter in the breeze, flashing the lighter green of their undersides. In fall the leaves turn yellow to orange-yellow, making a striking fall display. The delicate spreading twigs are dark brown, and look attractive in winter.

Using the Renaissance Oasis Birch in Your Garden

With its rapid growth, this tree is ideal for new gardens, or for treeless open land – it’s a handsome quick fix. It looks beautiful on a lawn, planted alone, or in a small grove or two or three trees – plant them close together and they make a superb clump, or space them further apart for a casual, woody look. A row, spaced 10 to 15 feet apart makes an attractive boundary marker or summer screen. You can even grow it in a large pot for some years, and it would look great on a terrace, deck or even a large balcony.

Hardiness

The Renaissance Oasis Birch is ideal for cold to warm parts of the country. It grows happily in zone 3 – and would likely grow in zone 2 as well. It is also more drought tolerant than other white birch, and will grow well in zone 7.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant this tree in full sun, where it will grow best. As long as it has at least 6 hours of direct sun year-round, it will take a bit of early morning or late afternoon shade. It grows in any ordinary garden soil, doing best in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils. This variety is more tolerant of alkaline soils than others, and is usually happy on clay and even in areas periodically flooded. It isn’t very tolerant of inner-city areas, but thrives in suburbs and the country. Once established it is more drought-resistant than most white birch, and also tolerates some road-salt and salt runoff.

Maintenance and Pruning

You don’t have to worry about the bronze birch borer, which kills so many white birch, because this tree has been bred and selected to be virtually immune. It also has moderate resistance to leaf miner, which is not-fatal anyway, so any damage will be minimal and hardly noticed. It also resists leafhoppers, and other pests or diseases are insignificant.

History and Origin of the Renaissance Oasis Birch

The American white birch, Betula papyrifera is one of our most beautiful native trees, noted for its thin white bark. It is also called paper birch and canoe birch. It grows all across Canada, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, in northern states and further south in mountains. Starting in the 1970s the Evergreen Nursery Company of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, began breeding and selecting white birch for resistance to pests, especially the deadly bronze birch borer. They grew many trees from seed and then planted them in different places. One group was planted in New Carlisle, Ohio in 1986. In 1999 Thomas Pinney, Jr., now head of the family business, selected some trees from that group, and these became the Renaissance series. All are highly resistant to birch borer, but one, named ‘Oenci’ and christened as the trademark Renaissance Oasis, was extra good, with good drought and heat resistance too, and good growth on alkaline soils. He patented it in 2002.

Buying the Renaissance Oasis Birch at The Tree Center

This break-through tree has taken nurseries and gardens by storm, and become the ‘go-to’ birch tree everywhere. Sadly this means that supplies are very limited. Our trees are produced by grafting, and are 100% identical to that first tree. Cheaper seedlings simply won’t cut it. Order now, as we already have a waiting list for this tree, so our stock won’t last long.

Growing the Royal Frost® Birch

Size and Appearance

The Royal Frost® Birch is a deciduous tree that grows rapidly, especially when young. It can add 3 feet of growth in a single year, so within a few years it will make a statement in your garden, maturing into a tree 30 to 40 feet tall and around 20 feet wide. The trunk is relatively slender and vertical, and it features beautiful white bark marked with horizontal rows of dark-gray spots, called lenticels. Even older trees have good white to light-gray bark color, and the bark is smooth and doesn’t peel much. Young branches tend to be semi-weeping, giving this tree a very graceful look. The slightly-glossy leaves are up to 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, rounded, tapering to a long, pointed tip. The edge of the leaf is irregularly toothed. In spring the leaves are an incredibly bold deep purple, and this color holds well, becoming more bronzy during summer. With the arrival of fall the foliage turns a wonderful glowing yellow. In spring the bare twigs carry hanging catkins of two kinds. Male catkins can be 2 to 4 inches long, and turn golden with pollen. Female catkins are 1 or 2 inches long and greenish, developing into cone-like fruits with many tiny winged seeds.

Using the Royal Frost® Birch in Your Garden

This tree is a great choice for a striking lawn specimen in a smaller garden, and with its fast growth-rate you won’t be waiting long for it to look great. Plant it alone or in a cluster of 3 or even 5 trees, planted about 3 feet from each other. Grow it at the back of a shrub bed or beside water. Planted against a backdrop of green trees it looks terrific.

Hardiness

The Royal Frost Birch is very hardy all the way through zone 3 and thrives in areas with cold winters and cool summers. It grows through moderate climates too, into zone 7, but in zones 6 and especially 7 it needs attention to watering in summer, and can suffer heat stress which in turn may lead to insect problems.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun will give the strongest foliage colors with the Royal Frost Birch, but it will grow in a little shade too, developing some greenish tones in summer if it is too shady. It grows best in moist but well-drained soil, preferring sandy or loam soils that are neutral to acidic. It doesn’t have very much drought tolerance.

Maintenance and Pruning

In all but the coolest areas this tree should be mulched thickly over the root system and kept moist, especially during the summer months. Give it a little attention and you will be rewarded with good health, vigorous growth and a beautiful tree. Use compost or rotted leaves as mulch, and spread it widely over the root zone, but not touching the trunk. Little or no pruning will be needed, but if you do prune do this in late fall or the middle of winter, as once the sap begins to rise in late winter cuts will bleed, weakening the tree and opening it to disease. This tree does not have high resistance to bronze birch borer, but this is usually only a problem with stressed trees. It is resistant to Japanese beetles, and deer don’t usually bother it.

History and Origin of the Royal Frost® Birch

The Evergreen Nursery Company, Inc. in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin, was founded in 1893, and back in the 1970s Thomas Pinney Jr. the owner at that time, began breeding birch trees. He created several varieties, such as the Renaissance Reflection® Birch, that have good resistance to birch borer. He also created a plant called ‘Penci-2’, which is a complex hybrid between three species. One parent is Betula populifolia ‘Whitespire’, from which it inherits the beautiful white trunk. The other parent is a purple-leaf beech called ‘Crimson Frost’ which is a hybrid between the Sichuan Birch, Betula szechuanica, from western China, and a purple-leaf form of the European white birch, Betula pendula ‘Purpurea’. In 2000 the nursery registered it with the trademark name of Royal Frost®, but never patented it.

Buying the Royal Frost® Birch at the Tree Center

This highly-regarded variety is often recommended as the best purple-leaf birch tree, and we agree with that. So will you when you see it growing in your yard. Order now, while our supplies hold out, because they will soon all be gone.

Growing the Dakota Pinnacle® Birch

Size and Appearance

The Dakota Pinnacle Birch is an upright deciduous tree, growing 3 to 5 feet a year to reach 30 feet within 10 years, and ultimately growing over 40 feet tall. It remains narrow, growing only 10 to 12 feet wide, with an elegant and neat pyramidal shape. Because of its narrow crown, the lower branches remain strong and grow for many years, so it has branches and foliage almost to the ground. The bark of young branches is grayish-orange, but by the time they are 6 years old they become white with slight orange tints. In winter, when the leaves have fallen, that smooth white bark glows through the branch structure, lightening up your garden.

In March or April, the tree is decorated with long catkins, which are the flowers of the tree. These develop in fall, but remain tiny until spring, when they elongate to be up to 4 inches long, hanging in clusters and fluttering in the breezes on the bare stems. The leaves appear by early May, and they are dark green, oval and a little more than 2 inches long, with attractive jagged serrated edges. They hang vertically from the branches, fluttering and rustling in any breeze. In fall the leaves turn butter yellow and the tree looks especially beautiful in that season.

Using the Dakota Pinnacle® Birch in Your Garden

This tree is a perfect specimen for a lawn, alone or planted in a cluster. With its narrow profile you don’t need a large area to grow it on – it’s ideal for a smaller garden, including city gardens. Grow it in the corner of your yard, behind shrubs and other plants, or plant a row, spacing them between 6 and 15 feet, depending on the look you want, as a boundary marker and screen. It can be planted at the back of large shrub beds, and even grown for some years in a large pot or half-barrel.

Hardiness

The Dakota Pinnacle Birch is extremely hardy, making it an ideal choice for northern gardens. It is reliable and undamaged all through zone 3, and grows in zone 7, although there it should be planted with some summer shade, and with a regular supply of water.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Plant the Dakota Pinnacle Birch in full sun or partial shade. The soil should be moist, and it can even be wet, either acidic or slightly alkaline – this variety has good resistance to alkaline soil conditions that adversely affect other birch trees. It will grow well in ordinary garden soil, and unlike some other birch it is not affected by urban pollution, so it grows well in city gardens. In cooler zones it is moderately drought resistant, but less so in warmer areas, where heat and drought stress can contribute to insect damage.

Wind Resistance

In northern and mid-western areas winds can be strong, but the Dakota Pinnacle Birch has excellent wind resistance, tolerating winds well over 100 miles per hour. This means it can be safely planted in exposed sites or used on the exposed side of a windbreak, perhaps with evergreens planted behind it.

Maintenance and Pruning

Normally no significant pruning is required, and like all birch it should be pruned, if needed, in summer, not in spring, when it can bleed sap and weaken. Some tree fertilizer in spring will help a young tree achieve its maximum growth rate. Water regularly, especially in hotter zones, and use mulch to keep the roots cool. This tree is relatively resistant to the bronze birch borer, but stress makes it more susceptible. Other minor pests are possible, but they are of no great significance.

History and Origin of the Dakota Pinnacle® Birch

The Japanese, white birch, Betula platyphylla, grows in northern Japan, Korea and on the Manchurian peninsula, in Russia and China. It is a close relative of the European silver birch, Betula pendula. In 1986 Arthur A. Boe, a scientist at the North Dakota State University’s Arboretum near Absaraka, collected some seed from a tree of the Japanese white birch that was growing there. The seedlings were planted in a test plot at the University’s campus in Fargo. In 1989 Dale E. Herman spotted a unique slender seedling growing, and it was observed for several years to assess it. In 1992 it was propagated by grafting and tissue culture, to preserve its genetic identity, and distributed to other northern states and to Saskatchewan, Canada, for further trials of its hardiness and borer resistance. Only after this careful testing was it named ‘Fargo’, and patented in 1999. That patent has now expired, but the tree continues to be sold with its trademark name, Dakota Pinnacle®, which is owned by the University and supports further research.

Buying the Dakota Pinnacle® Birch at The Tree Center

This is such a gorgeous tree that our northern clients need no encouragement to plant it – its value is well known. If you live in the north, your garden simply can’t be without this tree, so order now while our limited stock remains available, and enjoy this beautiful, hardy, and resilient tree in your own garden.

Growing the Renaissance Reflection® Birch

Size and Appearance

The Renaissance Reflection Birch is a slender, upright deciduous tree with a tall, straight trunk, growing rapidly, between 4 and 6 feet a year when young, to be about 35 feet tall in 10 years. Ultimately it will reach around 50 feet, with a spread of about 25 feet. The crown is slender and pyramidal, with a tall section of clear trunk developing quickly. Young twigs are chestnut brown. On young branches and stems less than 2 or 3 inches in diameter the bark is reddish-brown, so if your new tree has a brown trunk, don’t worry, it will soon become white. On the trunk and older branches, the bark is snow white, and remains that way throughout the tree’s life. This variety does not shed its bark very much, but sometimes patches of park peel away, revealing salmon-pink new bark, which soon becomes white.

The leaves are oval, with pronounced serrated edges and a pointed tip. They are 3 to 6 inches long, and 1½ to 3 inches wide, and they hang gracefully from the branches, often in pairs, fluttering and rustling in the slightest breeze. They are dark green on both sides, and they turn a gorgeous, glowing yellow in fall.

Using the Renaissance Reflection® Birch in Your Garden

If you have a new garden, or an open area with no trees, this birch tree is the perfect way to quickly fix that. Planted alone, as two or three, or in a small grove, it will grow so quickly that you will have good-sized trees on that lawn within a few short years. It can be grown in a row as a simple but effective boundary. It can even be grown for some years as a captivating potted tree, planted in a large container, to place on a deck or terrace.

Hardiness

The Renaissance Reflection Birch is very cold resistant. It is totally hardy in zones 3 to 7, and normally survives in zone 2 as well. It is not suitable for warmer zones, but this particular variety does have better heat resistance in zones 6 and 7 that other forms of white birch. If you want a white birch in those zones, this is the one you want.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Full sun is best for this tree, with a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun a day from spring to fall. It will grow well in ordinary soils, preferring moist but well-drained slightly acidic soils, but tolerating alkaline soils too, as well as clay soils and wet soils. It is perfect for newly-developed gardens, but it isn’t tolerant of inner-city pollution. It does resist road salt, and salt runoff in the soil, but not long periods of drought.

Maintenance and Pruning

Remove lower side branches while they are still still small to develop a clear trunk with no scarring. This is usually the only pruning needed, although you can also remove crowded branches on young trees to develop a graceful, more open crown. This tree is highly resistant to the birch borer, an insect that burrows beneath the bark, killing the growing parts and soon killing the tree. It can still suffer from birch leaf miner, but that pest is not lethal, and varies from season to season.

History and Origin of the Renaissance Reflection® Birch

The American white birch, Betula papyrifera, is perhaps the most beautiful of all the American species of birch. It is also called paper birch and canoe birch. It grows from sea to sea across Canada, and in all the northern states, as well as in mountainous areas further south. It has always been a popular garden tree in northern gardens, but the bronze birch borer has made it much rarer. In the 1970s the Evergreen Nursery Company, Inc. in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin, began a 40-year breeding program to develop trees that were resistant to the bronze birch borer. They grew many trees from seed and planted them at various locations to observe their growth and resistance. One trial planting was of 240 trees in New Carlisle, Ohio. Among those trees one stood out. Not only was it untouched by the borer, but its straight trunk and excellent white bark really caught the attention of Thomas Pinney, Jr. His family had owned Evergreen Nursery since it was founded in 1893. After further testing and observation of mature trees grown from that original, it was patented in 2002 with the name ‘Renci’. All our trees are grown from stem pieces, to preserve the genetic purity of that original tree. The same year the nursery trademarked the tree as Renaissance Reflection®, to mark the rebirth of white birch in gardens.

Buying the Renaissance Reflection® Birch at The Tree Center

Now that you can grow a beautiful white birch without worrying about it being soon killed by borers, everyone wants to have the Renaissance Reflection Birch in their gardens. We are so pleased we could source some trees, but they certainly won’t last long. Order now, and before you know it you will have a gorgeous white-barked tree standing on your lawn.

Growing European White Birch Trees

The European White Birch is a handsome small tree, growing rapidly to 15 or 20 feet tall, and ultimately reaching 30 to 40 feet in height. It can in time spread as much as 30 feet across, although usually it will be just 20 feet wide. Allow some distance from houses and buildings when planting, so that it does not become crowded. The branches are thin, creating an open rounded crown, with the young branches drooping a little, creating a graceful look. The leaves are heart-shaped, about 2½ inches long, with a tapering tip and serrated edges. They hang and flutter in the breeze, so this tree is always in motion, rustling gently. In fall they turn a cool pale yellow, before fluttering to the ground.

Appearance

The bark is the main feature of this tree, and it give this tree its name, and its considerable beauty. It is pure white when young, with black markings, and it peels away in strips, giving a unique shaggy look to the tree. A young tree will be completely white, and older trees develop some gray and black bark low down on the main trunk, with deep furrows.

In spring, before the leaves appear, long yellow-brown catkins hang from the tree. These are about 2½ inches long, and they carry the male flowers. As well, shorter, upright green catkins carry the female flowers, which turn into small cone-like seed pods, visible after the leaves fall. The male catkins make the tree look like it is garlanded for a party.

Uses on Your Property

Plant the European White Birch alone or in a group on a lawn, or plant it along the property line. Use it at the edge of a woodland area, beside a stream or in low-lying wetter areas. This tree is incredibly hardy, all the way down to minus 50 degrees, so it is an ideal choice in northern areas, where tree choices are more limited – although a beautiful tree like this will be admired everywhere.

Planting and Initial Care

The European White Birch grows best in full sun or light shade, and afternoon shade is welcomed in zones 6 and 7. It will grow well in most soils, preferring a richer soil, rather than a dry, sandy one. This tree does not like growing in constantly-wet soil either, but it does need plenty of moisture, and it grows best in cooler zones, with snowy winters and cool summers with rain. Young trees should be watered deeply during dry spells and mulched to conserve moisture around their roots. Nevertheless, this is an easy tree to grow, and quickly becomes an attractive addition to any garden.

History and Origins of the European White Birch

The European White Birch (betula pendula) grows over an extensive part of the northern hemisphere, all the way from western Europe eastwards to central Asia, and into Siberia, Mongolia and China. It grows south into the mountains of northern Iran, Iraq and Turkey. It is a pioneer species, among the first trees to establish in disturbed areas, which is why it grows so well in new garden developments too.

This is a tree for colder parts of the country, as in areas that are hot and humid it becomes stressed, and this makes it susceptible to attack by the bronze birch borer, a beetle pest that burrows beneath the bark, and can quickly kill a tree. For hotter, drier and humid parts of the country, we recommend you plant instead one of our varieties of River Birch (betula lenta) which is not affected by the borer. That tree is much happier in hot areas, while still hardy all the way into zone 4. If you live in a cold zone, with snowy winters, then choose the European White Birch, and enjoy its special charm and beauty to the full. As this tree is relatively short-lived – 35 to 50 years – plan to plant other, slower-growing but longer-living trees too, like maple or oak, to build your garden for the future.

Our trees are grown from selected seed taken from the most beautiful and the healthiest trees, so you receive a top-quality tree that will take off rapidly, and soon be an attractive specimen. There is always very high demand for these trees, especially for new gardens, so our stock will soon be gone from the nursery. Order now to enjoy the special charm of the European White Birch.

Wild river birch trees do not have particularly attractive bark, but the Heritage Birch Tree does. This selected form features bark which flakes away in large sheets, creating a very textured and appealing look. the outer bark is colored brown to tan, and as it peels away it reveals the inner bark, which is very different, in shades of creamy white to white. This tree is strikingly beautiful, and it never looks quite the same, as the bark is shed in an irregular fashion, creating ever-changing random patterning.

The Heritage Birch Tree has other advantages too. The leaves are a little larger than in the wild tree, creating a bolder look, and even more importantly, this form is much faster growing than wild trees, which is exactly what you want for the quick development which is so desirable with birch trees. It is also a little hardier than the wild species, thriving in zone 4, but also growing into the warmest zones. This ability to grow in hot, humid areas is unique to the Heritage Birch, since other types of birch tree prefer much cooler, northern areas. If you live further south, this is the birch tree for your garden.

Growing the Heritage Birch

Size and Appearance

The Heritage Birch is a medium-sized tree that usually reaches 25 or 30 feet in height, with a width of about 15 to a maximum of 25 feet across. It takes several decades for a tree to reach this width. Very old trees growing in rich, wet soil, may sometimes grow bigger than these dimensions, but very rarely do that in gardens. The leaves are about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, in a triangular-oval shape, pointed toward the tip. They are edged in tiny soft teeth. In fall the leaves turn a wonderful shade of soft yellow, like a glowing candle in the sun. Older trees flower in early spring, before the leaves appear. Charming golden clusters of flowers, in narrow, hanging structures 2-3 inches long called ‘catkins’, hang down from the branches. These add a lovely spring touch to your garden.

Using the Heritage Birch in Your Garden

Heritage Birch very soon becomes a graceful tree you will love to see on your property. Its branches hang down a little at the ends, creating a soft, slightly pendulous profile. Birch trees have a ‘light’ look that is unique among deciduous trees. The thin twigs and small, hanging leaves make for a light, airy tree, very different from the solid mass of maple or oak. In small our medium-sized gardens they don’t dominate the garden, or create areas of dense shade, preventing you from growing other plants in your limited gardening space. As well, their root systems don’t find a way into sewage pipes, or under your foundations, so you are safe from the structural damage that can be caused by trees planted near to pipes or too close to buildings.

The trunks of birch trees tend to be slim, and a single tree has only so much appeal. You might want to consider planting three of these trees in the same hole, spacing them about 12 inches apart. This creates a beautiful clump of stems, which grow outwards a little in elegant and varied ways, giving you a unique tree that you will love.

Plant your Heritage Birch 15 feet or more from a building, swimming pool or septic system and 8 feet from a driveway. For a boundary row or along a stream, allow 8 to 12 feet between the trees – it depends how dense a screen you want to have.

Hardiness

Wild river birch are not found north of zone 6, but in gardens the Heritage Birch is hardy in zone 4. It is also a variety that will grow in hot areas, where most birch fail, so it can be safely grown even in zone 9.

Sun Exposure and Soil Conditions

Most trees need good drainage, but the Heritage Birch grows naturally along river banks, so it thrives in damp, and even wet, soil, including heavy clays. This makes it ideal for wetter parts of your garden, along a stream, or by a pond. It also grows very well in regular soil, so wet or normal, your soil type does not prevent you growing this tree.

Maintenance and Pruning

Safe from pests, and not likely to develop diseases, the Heritage Birch is easy to grow. You can leave the branches to the ground, or remove side branches while they are still small – to avoid scars – so that you can really enjoy the beauty of the trunk. Otherwise no care is needed.

History and Origin of the Heritage Birch

The River Birch, Betula nigra, is an American native tree growing throughout the east, from New Jersey to Georgia and from Texas to Nebraska. In the wild it doesn’t grow further north than zone 6, but in gardens it has proved to be completely hardy throughout zone 4. In the early 1970s, Earl Cully, who had a tree nursery in St. Louis, Missouri, found an interesting birch tree growing on his land. He let it grow taller and found it had much more colorful bark than his other trees did. He also found the leaves were larger, the branching structure denser, and that the tree was less likely to be damaged by wind and ice. He patented his new tree (PP#4,409, now expired), and he called it ‘Cully’. It went on to be sold in nurseries with the trademark name of Heritage.

Buying the Heritage Birch at the Tree Center

Heritage Birch is a dependable and easy to grow tree that is ideal for new properties, smaller gardens, and in wetter locations. This tree is always in high demand and finding stock of this exact variety is not easy. Order now, while that limited stock is still available.

The Dura Heat® River Birch is a popular tree, and because it is so adaptable and dependable it is often in high demand. We constantly receive new stock, but shortages can arise, so order now to avoid disappointment.

Growing Dura Heat® River Birch

The Dura Heat® River Birch will quickly grow into a graceful tree with slightly pendulous branches and a unique lightness that only birch trees have. The beauty of their bark, their thin twigs and delicate hanging leaves all create a light and airy effect, quite different from denser trees like Maples. This makes it a good choice for the smaller or medium-sized garden because it will not dominate the area or create a lot of dense shade that can be hard to grow other plants in. It will not cause damage with roots, so this tree can be planted closer to buildings and sewage pipes than many other trees.

Climate and Hardiness

Most birch trees need cooler weather to do well, but the Dura Heat® River Birch is happy in hot, humid weather, making it the ideal choice if you live in a warmer area such as the South, where other birch trees will not do well. It is hardy in zone 4, all the way into zone 9, so it can be grown almost anywhere.

Appearance of the Dura Heat® River Birch

The Dura Heat® River Birch is a medium-sized tree that can reach 30 to 40 feet in height and be up to 25 feet across. The main feature of this tree is the bark, which is an attractive pinkish-brown color and peels off in a picturesque fashion, revealing new, lighter-colored bark below and giving even young trees lots of character. Older trunks eventually become ridged and dark-brown in color.

The leaves are up to 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, a triangular-oval shape and pointed toward the tip. There are tiny soft teeth along the edges of the leaves. In fall the leaves turn a wonderful shade of soft yellow, like a glowing candle in the sun. Once your tree is a little older you will see it flowering in early spring, before the leaves. The flowers are tiny, in narrow clusters called ‘catkins’ that hang down and are 2 to 3 inches long. These add a charm to the tree as the seasons change and spring arrives.

Planting Location and Soil Conditions

The Dura Heat® River Birch should be grown in a sunny location, and it can be planted in heavy clay soil that is often wet. It can even be planted in flooded soil, so it is an ideal choice for low-lying areas of your property, or along river banks. It will also grow in regular soil and does best in soil that is acid to neutral. Plant the Dura Heat® River Birch as a single specimen, or as a beautiful group of trees, since birch always looks lovely in a group. This tree also makes a great fast-growing boundary tree to your property, or a wind-break. Because it thrives in wet conditions it is also great for preventing river-bank erosion.

History and Origins of the Dura Heat® River Birch

The River Birch (Betula nigra) is an American native tree that grows naturally throughout the east, from New Jersey to Georgia and from Texas to Nebraska. It is usually found in swampy areas and low-lying regions subject to flooding. Although it does not occur naturally further north than zone 6, it is hardy right into zone 4, meaning that this tree will grow in gardens across the whole country except for southern Florida and southern California.

The form trademarked as ‘Dura Heat’ was developed by selection from seedling trees grown from seed taken from wild plants growing in Florida. These had a natural genetic resistance to heat, and the most heat and pest resistant seedlings were used to develop this variety. Seedling trees of the wild river birch will not show the same resistance, so choose the best.

The Black Birch grows steadily at a foot or two a year until it reaches 40 or 50 feet tall in just 20 years or so. This makes it an ideal choice for smaller gardens, since it will rapidly mature, but not become a 100 foot monster that fills your yard. It also has a light, airy look, with fine, slightly hanging branches and delicate leaves, quite different from the heavier look of a Maple or Oak. A tree like this is an ideal companion to a smaller home or a smaller yard, bringing shade and beauty without crowding you out. You are also growing a native tree, with no danger of seeds escaping and affecting surrounding natural areas with a foreign species.

Growing Black Birch Trees

The Black Birch is an ideal choice for colder gardens, where it thrives even down to minus 40 degrees. It will also grow well in warmer areas, but if you live in very hot, humid areas we recommend the River Birch, which is more suited to those conditions. The Black Birch also grows in any kind of soil, from sand to clay and it is ideal for low-lying wet areas and along water. Although it will survive a normal dry summer in cooler areas, it is not considered to be especially drought-resistant.

Uses and Lifespan

Plant the Black Birch as a single specimen, or as a beautiful group of 3 or 5 trees, since birch trees always look lovely in a group. This tree also makes a great boundary tree for your property, or a wind-break. Young trees have a dense, pyramidal shape when young, become more open and irregular with age. They can live to be 150 or 200 years old. This tree is not affected by the Bronze Birch Borer, so it will be long-lived and trouble-free.

Appearance of the Black Birch Tree

The Black Birch, Betula lenta, is an American native tree that grows naturally throughout the east, from Maine, through the Appalachian Mountains into northern Georgia and into Kentucky and Alabama. It is a medium-sized tree that can reach 40 to 50 feet in height and be 25 to 45 feet across, but it is usually smaller, especially when grown in normal garden conditions.

Bark and Trunk

The main feature of this tree is the bark, which is an attractive mahogany-brown color and is smooth and glossy, not peeling off like some other birch trees do. Across the bark are horizontal, lighter-brown marks, which make the tree look a little like a Cherry Tree, which is why it is also called the Cherry Birch. Older trunks can sometimes become dark brown and ridged, which is why it is called Black Birch.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves are 2½ to 6 inches long and 2 inches wide, a triangular-oval shape and pointed toward the tip. The leaves are glossy and have tiny soft teeth along the edges. In fall the leaves turn a wonderful shade of soft yellow, making the tree glow in the fall sun. Once your tree is a little older you will see it flowering in early spring, before the leaves. The flowers are tiny, in narrow clusters called ‘catkins’ that hang down and are 2 to 3 inches long. Although not especially showy they are interesting and add a charm to the tree as the seasons change.

Aroma and Syrup Production

This tree was once harvested to extract oil of wintergreen from the inner layers of the bark. Peel a strip from a small branch and smell the delicious aroma! The tree can also be tapped for syrup, which is darker and richer than the syrup made from maple trees. The wood from old trees is prized as a replacement for tropical mahogany, as it is the same color and hardness for making fine furniture.

Planting Your Black Birch Tree

Choose a sunny location for your tree and place it 10 feet from a building, swimming pool or septic system and 6 feet from a driveway. If you are creating a group of Black Birch, trees can be planted as close as 3 feet to each other to form a clump, or further apart, perhaps 8 or 10 feet, to make a grouping. For a boundary row or along a stream, allow 10 feet between the trees and set them back 10 feet from the legal boundary of your property.

To Plant your Black Birch, dig a hole that is three times the width of the pot and just a little deeper. Add some organic material to the soil you have removed from the hole and place your tree at the same depth it was in the pot. Replace most of the soil and firm it down well around the root-ball. Fill the hole with water and wait for it to drain away, and then replace the rest of the soil. Water your tree well every week for the first year and then when the soil becomes dry. The more water you give this tree the faster it will grow.

Buying Black Birches at The Tree Center

Our Black Birch are grown for us from seed collected from perfect specimens with the best features of this tree. These are carefully grown into sturdy trees with strong roots and upright trunks. Avoid cheaper trees that can be lower quality and grow weakly and slowly. The Black Birch is a popular native tree and because it is so attractive and ideal for colder areas it is often in high demand. We constantly receive new stock to be able to ship the best plants to our customers, but shortages can occur.

The River Birch is a popular native tree and because it is so adaptable and dependable it is often in high demand. We constantly receive new stock, but shortages can arise, so order now to avoid disappointment.

Growing River Birch Trees

The River Birch will quickly grow into a graceful tree with slightly pendulous branches and a unique lightness that only birch trees have. The beauty of their bark, their thin twigs and delicate hanging leaves all create a light and airy effect, quite different from denser trees like Maple. This means they are good choices for the smaller or medium-sized garden because they will not dominate the area or create a lot of dense shade that can be hard to grow other plants in. They will not cause damage with their roots so River Birch can be planted closer to buildings and sewage pipes than many other trees.

Climate and Hardiness

Most birch trees need cooler weather to do well, but the River Birch is happy in hot, humid weather, so it is an ideal choice if you live in a warmer area such as the the South, where other birch trees will not do well. It is hardy in zone 4, all the way into zone 9, so it can be grown almost anywhere.

Soil Conditions

The River Birch can be planted in heavy clay soil that is often wet and can even be planted in flooded soil, so it is an ideal choice for low-lying areas of your property, or along river banks. It will also grow in regular soil and does best in soil that is acid to neutral, and is not an ideal choice for alkaline soil. If you have that kind of soil, the Autumn Purple Ash is a good choice for an alternative tree.

Plant the River Birch as a single specimen, or as a beautiful group of 3 or 5 trees, since Birch always seem to look lovely in a group. This tree also makes a great fast-growing boundary tree to your property, or a wind-break. Because it thrives in wet conditions it is also great for preventing river-bank erosion.

History and Origins of the River Birch

The River Birch (Betula nigra) is an American native tree that grows naturally throughout the east, from New Jersey to Georgia and from Texas to Nebraska. It is usually found in swampy areas and low-lying regions subject to flooding. Other birch trees are found further north in colder areas and up into Canada, so the River Birch is unique in its heat-tolerance and ability to grow in warm regions. Although it does not occur naturally further north than zone 6, it is actually hardy right into zone 4, meaning that this tree will grow in gardens across the whole country except for southern Florida and southern California.

Appearance of the River Birch

The River Birch is a medium-sized tree that can reach 40 to 70 feet in height and be 25 to 50 feet across, but it is usually smaller, especially when grown in normal garden conditions. The largest sizes are reached when it has access to unlimited amounts of water. The main feature of this tree is the bark, which is an attractive pinkish-brown color and peels off in a picturesque fashion, revealing new, lighter-colored bark below and giving even young trees lots of character. Older trunks eventually become ridged and dark-brown in color.

The leaves are up to 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, a triangular-oval shape and pointed toward the tip. There are tiny soft teeth along the edges of the leaves. In fall the leaves turn a wonderful shade of soft yellow, like a glowing candle in the sun. Once your tree is a little older you will see it flowering in early spring, before the leaves. The flowers are tiny, in narrow clusters called ‘catkins’ that hang down and are 2 to 3 inches long. Although not showy they are interesting and add a charm to the tree as the seasons change.

Planting Your River Birch Tree

Choose a sunny location for your tree and place your tree at least 15 feet from a building, swimming pool or septic system and 8 feet from a driveway. If you are creating a group of River Birch, trees can be planted within 3 feet of each other to form a clump, or further apart, perhaps 10 feet, to make a grouping. For a boundary row or along a stream, allow 10 to 15 feet between trees, depending on how dense you want the row to be.

To Plant your River Birch, choose a location in damp soil and dig a hole that is three times the width of the pot and just a little deeper. Add some organic material to the soil you have removed from the hole and place your tree at the same depth it was in the pot. Replace most of the soil and firm it down well around the root-ball. Fill the hole with water and wait for it to drain away, and then replace the rest of the soil. Water your tree well every week for the first year and then when the soil becomes dry. The more water you give this tree the faster it will grow.