Betula populifolia 'Whitespire'
Whitespire gray birchCulture: Whitespire birch should be transplanted in the spring, into moist well drained soils. The borer resistance appears to be related to the heat and drought tolerance of this selection. Whitespire birch is borer resistant if vegetatively grown from the parent plant and grown in an appropriate site. Locating this selection in hot and dry sites will likely result in borer infestations. Vegetatively propagated plants are called 'Whitespire Senior', separating them from seed grown plants that are marketed as 'Whitespire'. The parent plant is located in the University of Wisconsin Arboretum and has remained borer free while all other birches around it succumbed. Usage: A popular white barked birch because of the borer resistance but the bark is not as white as paper birch. It looks best when grown multi-stemmed. Avoid seed-grown trees. Taxonomists appear to be having a difficult time with Whitespire's classification. It is also placed under B. mandshurica and B. platyphylla var. japonica}. |
