Paper bark birch is a great choice for a landscape tree that is usually planted for its creamy white, peeling bark. However, young trees and new branches have brown bark that turns to the white papery bark as it grows older, so don't be surprised if you find brown bark saplings at the nursery.
Provides great fall and winter interest with the creamy peeling white bark, the golden leaves, and the catkins that can stay on the tree until spring. Many animals feed on the bark in winter.
Plant in small clumps of three or more.
Perfect for use around water features.
Paper bark birch is a fast grower, so can be used for places where you want some shade soon.
Birches are well known as water-loving trees, and are not very drought tolerant at all.
It grows best in well-drained sandy or silty loam that is acidic, though it can adapt to a variety of soils. It does not grow well in compacted soils.Paper bark birch does not do well in heat, harsh conditions, or around pollution.
Maintenance/Pruning:
Once a central leader has been developed, paper bark birch does not need much pruning. Do not prune when the sap is flowing in the spring or it will "bleed". Also, keep spring pruning to a minimum to help prevent bronze birch borer.
Pests & Diseases of Paper Bark Birch:
As with all birches, bronze birch borer can be a significant problem. However, paper bark birch is one of the more resistant species.
Do not plant where it will grow above cars, as aphids and the honeydew they can produce can be a problem.
Other insect problems include birch skeletonizer and birch leaf miner.
Fungal problems include leaf spots and cankers.
Another potential problem is birch dieback, when the branches die out over time.
