Grey Birch
Growth habit
Tree
Perennation
Perennial
Location
Source of plant
Bailey Nurseries, Forrest Keeling Nursery, Snipes Farm & Nursery
Description
A narrow, pyramidal white-barked birch, reaching 30' to 40' in height. Fine-textured in twig and foliage. Glossy leaves turn yellow in fall; chalk-white bark does not exfoliate. Tolerant of high temperatures and resistant to bronze birch borer. Thrives under a wide range of soil conditions. Three 27-year-old trees have remained free of bronze birch borer where other varieties have all become infested (DS 126). `Whitespire' has survived -30 degrees F. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, and has attained a height of 33' and a width of 14' with a distinctive spire-like form after 27 years. Glossy dark green leaves turn yellow in fall; chalky-white, non-exfoliating bark is marked with black triangles at the base of lateral branches; exhibits some leaf miner resistance (DS 318). Originally introduced as a cultivar of B. platyphylla var. Szechuanica; genetic profiling later indicated this to be a cultivar of B. populifolia. This is Confusing because the original seed was collected by Dr. Creech of the USPI in 1951 from a single specimen in an open field above Shibuyu Onsen at 5,000 feet in the Yatsugatake Mountains; Ed Hasselkus planted out 5 trees grown fron this seed and selected the one with the best developed bark and habit; trees tissue cultured or grown from cuttings from the original plant exhibit borer resistance; many plants have ben sold as 'Whitespire' that were grown from seed collected from the original tree and do not exhibit resistance (Dirr/318).
USDA Hardiness Zone
5
Special characteristics
pest resistance, bark, winter interest