Asian White Birch Betula pendula subsp. mandshurica

Betula is Latin for birch and describes a genus of about 60 species of deciduous trees and shrubs found in many gardens and landscapes throughout the northern hemisphere. Betula pendula subsp. mandshurica, or Asian White Birch, is a subspecies of Betula pendula, although some botanists argue that it should be included with Betula platyphylla. Asian White Birch is a slender tree with good fall foliage. The tree supports a wide range of insects and the light shade it casts allows shrubs and other plants to grow beneath it. It is noted for its smooth white bark.

Birches are best grown in moist, acidic, sandy or rocky, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. Asian White Birch will tolerate dry soil. Best foliage color occurs in full sun, but if the plant is sited in an area of summer heat and humidity, it will appreciate afternoon partial shade. The plant is said to tolerate summer heat better than most birches. Keep the tree consistently moist and consider using soaker hoses and bark mulches to keep the root zones cool and moist. It needs little pruning, but if necessary, you can prune during the dormant season. Do not prune in winter or spring when the sap is running because it will bleed. Birches produce an abundance of sap in spring and a species of woodpecker called the sapsucker taps birch trees in spring by cutting small wells in the bark and drinking the sap, which oozes out.

Birches are considered a "pioneer" species and, thus, tend to grow quickly when young. However, Asian White Birch is difficult to transplant and has shallow roots. Tiny monoecious (male and female) flowers appear in early spring in separate catkins on the same tree. Greenish female flowers are followed by drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds that typically mature in late summer.

Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems:

The Asian White Birch is susceptible to the bronze birch borer, which infects and kills trees. Aphids, leaf miner and birch skeletonizer may also occur. Watch for leaf spot problems.