BlueBell Arboretum & Nursery

Mail order trees, shrubs, conifers and woody climbers

Betula utilis var jacquemontii 'Silver Shadow'

We're sorry, this plant is currently out of stock! This rare plant is available in very limited numbers and we expect to have several young plants ready for sale in winter 2012 - subject to crop. Please email us at sales@bluebellnursery.com or telephone us on (01530) 413700 to order in advance.

Description

The genuine selection 'Silver Shadow' is rare in cultivation as it is notoriously difficult to propagate, often only 10% of our grafts succeeding each year. Once it has grown past this tricky phase however it is as easy to grow as any other Betula utilis and it has two distinct attributes.

Betula utilis 'Silver Shadow' has perhaps the finest and most unblemished white bark of any Birch we have seen and grows to be a smaller and more dainty tree than the other silver barked birches listed on our website. A disadvantage to this tree is that the dazzling white bark doesn't appear on very young plants as it can take four or five years to start to develop. The relatively small size makes this selection suitable for gardens with limited space, especially if grown as a multi-stemmed specimen.

Features

• Common name: Himalayan Birch.
• Position: Full sun.
• Soil: Any fertile soil.
• Hardiness: Hardy.
• Rate of Growth: Slow to moderate
• Habit: Small tree with a slender habit.
  • Height: 10 m (32 ft)
  • Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
• Notes: We have a specimen of Betula utilis var. jacquemonti 'Silver Shadow', planted in the woodland garden surrounding our nursery. It is a 13 - 14 years old, has reached a height of 4 m and a spread of 2 - 3 m. For best effect, the bark should be scrubbed gently with a hand brush and water once a year. This removes any green algae or grime and helps to restore the colour.
• Size: 3L containers.