Across the U.S. and Canada, city planners, landscape architects, and property owners now enjoy a wide selection of landscape trees to plant on city streets, along roadsides, and in yards and gardens. Over the past half century new and improved varieties (cultivars) are disease and pest resistant and exhibit better branching and architecture. We now know to avoid […]
Archive for the ‘Birch (Betula spp.)’ Category
‘Youngii’ White Bark Birch A Novelty Tree For Small Spaces
Young’s Weeping European Birch (Betula pendula ‘Youngii’) is small graceful tree with willowy pendulous branches (USDA hardiness zones 3-6). Nurseries often train the very pliable branches and trunk of grafted seedlings into unique novelty shapes. Plant this miniature 12 to 20 feet tree specimen near a deck or patio where it should receive mostly morning sunlight. Fall foliage turns […]
Tree Diversity Important In Urban Parks And Streets
In recent years urban tree diversity has become a buzz topic. The threat of losing entire street plantings to a deadly exotic disease or pest has to often become the reality. Nearly a century ago, urban tree-lined thoroughfares were laid bare by losses of American elms (Ulmus americana) and […]
Winter Sap Bleeding From Trees Not Harmful
Winter can be a cruel period for trees. Day-night temperatures may wildly fluctuate and drying winds tend to injure tender buds. Maples (Acer spp.), flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida), birches (Betula spp.), yellowwoods (Cladrastis kentukea), walnuts (Juglans spp.) and elms (Ulmus spp.) are “bleeders”. The sap pressure inside branches is highest during the winter months. If any […]
Summer Leaf Drop From Trees
It’s late summer in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and 7). Outdoor temperatures continue to hit 90°F almost daily, and weekly precipitation is low. Over the past 3-4 weeks leaves have been dropping prematurely from landscape trees. Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), river birch (Betula nigra), willow (Salix spp.), sycamore (Platanus x acerifolia), […]