Betula platyphylla (Japanese White Birch)

Betula platyphylla, commonly called Japanese white birch, is a medium to large-sized tree noted for its white bark, thin spreading branches, and slightly pendant branchlets. Featuring an elegant, pyramidal habit, it bears ovate, toothed, lime-green leaves, 3 in. long (7 cm), with some golden-yellow fall color before they shed for the winter. In spring, tiny yellowish-brown male flowers appear in drooping catkins, while greenish female flowers appear in upright catkins. The female flowers give way to drooping cone-like fruits containing numerous small winged seeds.

This elegant birch tree is attractive in all seasons and is an excellent landscape tree in cool northern climates.

• Grows up to 30-40 ft. tall (9-12 m) and 15-25 ft. wide (4.5-7.5 m).
• A full sun or part shade lover, this plant is easily grown in medium to wet, well-drained soils. Tolerates a wide range of soils. It tolerates some dry soils but is best in consistently moist ones.
• Perfect as a specimen plant or in cottage gardens and foundation plantings.
• Low maintenance, this plant needs little pruning. If pruning is necessary, prune during the dormant season and avoid pruning in spring when the sap is running.
• May be affected by sawflies, aphids, rust, and leaf spot.
• Propagate by seed, softwood cuttings, or grafting
• Native to Northeast China, Korea, and Japan