Betula utilis ‘Long Trunk’
£495.00 incl. VAT
Betula utilis ‘Long Trunk’: A really pedantic name for a beautiful tree. A weeping Himalayan birch. A living parasol.
The trunks are tall and straight with the classic white birch bark supporting a fountain of foliage weeping almost to the ground. It is deciduous, so the structure is fully visible in the winter, and like all birches is delicately elegant. Then in the early spring, the leaves begin to emerge with that gloriously soft green before clothing the whole umbrella in glossy and slightly serrated leaves, and in the autumn, they turn a rich butter yellow before falling.
Betula utilis ‘Long Trunk’ is hardy and easy to care for, flourishing in pretty much any moist-but-well-drained soil and a position in sun to light shade in exposed or sheltered positions.
I have to confess to having a very soft spot for this tree having grown up with one set in the lawn of my childhood garden. We played round and under it and would have loved it if it had grown into our own ‘tent’, but every year my mother trimmed the branches to a good metre from the ground. And herein lies a lesson, never to be forgotten. That spring, Mother was a bit late with her shears and the sap had already started rising. Every single tiny cut end wept sap for a week. It was like rain. Now of course, I know about tapping trees for their sap, about maple syrup and birch sap wine, so no, it didn’t hurt the tree in the long term. But I have never forgotten.
Additional Information |
|
|---|---|
| Size | |
| Plant Type | |
FAQs
HOW FAST DOES BETULA UTILIS ‘Long Trunk’ GROW?
30cm-40cm annually, depending on conditions.
HOW DO YOU TAKE CARE OF BETULA UTILIS ‘Long Trunk’?
Plant in full sun in moist-but-well-drained soil. Water as needed until established. Prune only as required and never in early spring.
HOW TALL DOES BETULA UTILIS ‘Long Trunk’ GROW?
8m over 50 years.
DOES BETULA UTILIS ‘Long Trunk’ PREFER SUN OR SHADE?
Full sun or light shade.
IS BETULA UTILIS ‘Long Trunk’ AN INDOOR OR OUTDOOR PLANT?
Outdoor.
IS BETULA UTILIS ‘Long Trunk’ SUITABLE FOR HEDGING?
No.
CAN BETULA UTILIS ‘Long Trunk’ BE GROWN IN POTS OR CONTAINERS?
No.
