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| Betula papyrifera
Paper birch,Canoe birchCulture: Transplant paper birch B&B in the spring. It does best in colder climates and it prefers cool, moist soils. It is pH adaptable and cold hardy. Its pest problems are usually due to heat and drought stress weakening the trees and predisposing them to attack. The use of organic mulches, planting on north-facing slopes and grouping with other plants will help to alleviate stress. Paper birch is susceptible to drought stress, bronze birch borer and leaf miners. Usage: Nice white bark and good fall color, paper birch looks best multi-stemmed. It tends to be short lived due to the borers, that attack during dry years or when trees become stressed. South of its native range it is difficult to keep alive. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, nearly every home has a healthy paper birch in the front yard. In warmer climates, this species, or any other white-barked birch, should not be grown on the typical mounded, dry suburban property in front of the house. These sites are too dry and inevitably result in plant failure because of borers. |
