Japanese birch

Native range: Japan, northern China. In its native range the tree reaches 20 m in height, distinguished by large, up to 6 cm wide, ovate leaves and very decorative, snow-white bark. Autumn foliage is yellow. Well suited to pruning and ornamental use.

Form: Deciduous large or medium tree, with an oval, airy crown, very similar to the silver birch, but the main branches are more vertical; lateral shoots become somewhat pendulous with age.

Size: Height 15-20 m, width 10-12 m. Annual increase in height 25-40 cm, in width 20-25 cm.

Bark: Young - purplish-brown, later snow-white, old trunks gray-white.

Leaves: Alternate, from triangular to ovate, larger than our native birch, leafs out about 2 weeks earlier than other species, in autumn golden-yellow.

Roots: Taproot system with superficial lateral roots and a large number of fine roots in the upper soil layers.

Light: Light-loving.

Soil: Undemanding, tolerates all soil types, prefers slightly acidic to alkaline soils, grows well on dry and moist soils.

Features: Unusually early leaf emergence, so leaves sometimes suffer from late frosts.

Zone: 5b