Betula pendula ssp. mandshurica
Asian White Birch

Previously known as: Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Betula platyphylla

Family:

Betulaceae (Birch Family) 26

Genus:

Betula (Birch) 11

Plant Type:

Tree 556

Growth Forms:

Upright 537

Hardiness:

USDA Zone 4 490

Deciduous / Evergreen:

Deciduous 792

Flower Notes:

Brown (Small, greenish-brown catkins; not ornamentally important)

Foliage Notes:

Green (Lustrous dark green summer foliage); Yellow (Yellow fall foliage)

Fruit Notes:

Brown (Small nutlets; not ornamentally important)

Ultimate Height:

40-50 feet

Ultimate Spread:

25-30 feet

Light Requirements:

Soil Notes:

Prefers moist to wet, well-drained, sandy or rocky soils; adapts to many types of soils and pH's

Range:

Cultivated origin

Diagnostic Characteristics:

Leaves (1.5-3" long) are doubly serrated and have a truncate base, long tapering apex point, and axillary tufts under leaf in vein axils. Resinous glands are present on young stems.

Special Characteristics:

Wet Soil Tolerant 101

Additional Information

A generally better choice than the species type, Betula platyphylla var. japonica is a larger, graceful tree with thinner, spreading branches and striking pure white bark. It is especially well adapted to wet soilsand does not do well in dry situations. Less subject to the borer troubles of B. papyrifera in the Midwest, although still susceptible.