Subject: Birch Tree for Front Yard, which one?

From: Mark Stephens <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Mar 1995 14:51:46 GMT

We are planning to purchase one of the following Birch trees to put
in our front yard:

Betula nigra (River Birch)
Betula nigra 'Heritage' (River Birch with improved bark?)
Betula maximowicziana 'Hybrid' (Monarch Birch)
Betula platyphylla 'Whitespire' (Whitespire Birch)

Does anyone have any experience with any of the trees?  I would
like to hear about pest problems, exposure, how many trunks,
how old, etc.

I have read a lot about the river birch in 'Native Trees, Shrubs,
and Vines for Urban and Rural America' - Hightshoe.  How do the 
other birches compare?  Is the Heritage cultivar of River Birch
better?

We live in Fairfield OH, a burb north of Cincinnati.  Zone 5 (-20)

My first post in gardens, BTW.

Thanks
Mark Stephens - [email-masked]

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From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Mar 1995 22:08:04 GMT

>Betula nigra 'Heritage' (River Birch with improved bark?)

I have 'Heritage' and like it very much.  It's a *very* fast grower and a
very pretty tree.  Reportedly the improvements in the 'Heritage' cultivar
are in vigor and fast growth as well as bark color, and I certainly would
believe it.  As a matter of fact, my only worry about the tree is that it
will end up really huge; it's a little close to the house for that (I
have a very shallow front yard).  It's supposed to be very resistant to
bronze birch borer, and I certainly haven't seen any evidence of any.  It
does still get birch leaf miners, however (I think they all do), but so
far I've had only mild infestations (I planted the tree 6 or 7 years
ago).  The bark color is not as white as the European birch, of course,
at least not at a young age, but it is light; looks good in front of my
red brick house.  The bark is also much flakier than the European, a
trait it shares with B. platyphylla, which I think is flakier yet. 
Actually, I think B. platyphylla and B. n. 'Heritage' are very similar
looking trees but from what I've read nigra is slightly more borer
resistant (which is what caused me to choose it over the better-known
'Whitespire').  Former neighbors of mine had several B. platyphylla and
they did very well, too, although they were spraying prophylactically
with Malathion every spring so it's hard to compare their insect
tendencies.  Other than my trepidation about it's ultimate size, if I had
the same decision to make again, I wouldn't hesitate to plant the
'Heritage'.  
																							-Sue Sanders

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From: [email-masked] (Kevin Crader)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 22:06:56 -0500

> We are planning to purchase one of the following Birch trees to put

Mark,

You might want to look at Betula lenta (Sweet Birch)

Zones 4a-7b
40-55 feet height
35-50 feet spread

Beautiful and fairly free of pests.

I'll mail you a review from American Nurseryman w/sources if you send me
your address. Good growing!

Kevin
> My first post in gardens, BTW.

Welcome!

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 03:34:05 GMT

>Mark Stephens - [email-masked]

I am in love with river birches.  You can control the trunk
issue with judicious pruning.  The only pest problem I have
is aphids; but better the birch -- which grows leaves too fast
for them to defoliate than the roses.

Chris Owens

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From: Mark Stephens <[email-masked]>
Date: 24 Mar 1995 01:33:35 GMT

> You might want to look at Betula lenta (Sweet Birch)

Kevin,

thanks for the reply.  The book I have says that the sweet birch
is very susceptable to white trunk rot, yellow cap fungus,
Nectria canker, bronze birch borer, leaf gall aphid, seed mite,
birch skeletonizer.  While the river birch only listed
leaf spot and the fact that the river birch is weak wooded.  I
wonder if the author of my book just liked the river birch
better? :-)  The sweet birch is also a very slow grower, again
according to the book I have: 'Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines
for Urban and Rural America' - Hightshoe

Regardless, thanks for the info!  You mentioned American
Nurseryman.  Is this a book or magazine that I can subscribe to?

[email-masked]

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From: Mark Stephens <[email-masked]>
Date: 24 Mar 1995 01:47:00 GMT

Susan Sanders <[email-masked]> wrote:

> very pretty tree.

Susan,

thanks for the reply.  I'm glad you had a good experience with the
B. n. Heritage.  We are going to plant it 15 or more feet away
from the house so size shouldn't be a problem.

> looks good in front of my red brick house.

We also have a red brick house...well... it's a 80's quad level,
but we have a very pretty red brick on the first level. :-)  We 
want to detract from the white vinyl siding as much as possible! 
I'm glad to here it's a fast grower.  Can you estimate how much 
it has grown since you planted it?  How big a tree did you plant? 
And, how many trunks?  Most of the nurserys around here only sell
the river birch with 4 or more trunks.  We really want a 2 or 3 
trunk clump.

Thanks much,
[email-masked]

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From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 21 Mar 1995 22:08:04 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (Kevin Crader)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 22:06:56 -0500

Mark,

Zones 4a-7b
40-55 feet height
35-50 feet spread

Kevin

Welcome!

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From: [email-masked] (Christine Owens)
Date: 22 Mar 1995 03:34:05 GMT

Chris Owens

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From: Mark Stephens <[email-masked]>
Date: 24 Mar 1995 01:33:35 GMT

Kevin,

[email-masked]

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From: Mark Stephens <[email-masked]>
Date: 24 Mar 1995 01:47:00 GMT

Susan,

Thanks much,
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Kevin Crader)
Date: Sat, 25 Mar 1995 19:23:46 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, Mark Stephens <[email-masked]> wrote:

> birch skeletonizer. 

Mark,

I must seem like a lenta fanatic, but no, it's just one of those strange
occurences where I seem to be picking up on lots of information on a
paticular thing all at once, because I'm focused on it. The "sound of a
tree falling in an empty woods" syndrome!

Here's some more of what I've found...

"Densely pyramidal while young, but rather round topped at
maturity...golden yellow autumn color...interesting cherrylike bark...bark
of young twigs has an aromatic flavor"
Donald Wyman

"In the spring a multitude of 3" long golden yellow catkins are very showy
and make a spectacular canopy for spring flowering bulbs...best fall
foliage of all the birches...this species is resistant to bronze birch
borer, and is vigorous and essentially problem free...best in full sun or
light shade in a moist well drained soil...a lovely native deserving of
greater attention..."
Dr. Kim E. Tripp

It's affected by the problems you mentioned, but my recent reading of
current research seems to indicate it's less bothered by them than most
other birches. Who knows? 

I remember chewing on the twigs when I was a mere sprout, and remember my
grandad telling me that birch beer was made from them (I don't know if
that's true anymore).  

American Nurseryman is the largest nursery trade magazine for the
ornamental horticulture, retail and wholesale nursery and garden center
industry, and is published every two weeks. For hardcore gardeners who
have an interest in propagation (and like to drool over wholesale price
lists for choice ornamentals) it can be quite a good information source.
It's $45 for one year. 800-621-5727 outside of IL., or 312-782-5505.

Have a great spring!