Are there different varieties?

I've just been looking out the window at the rain and wind
and noticed two of our mature silver birch trees look a bit
different. One has fine twigs that cascade downwards from
the branches and the other has erect twigs. Both trees are
multi-stem and around 50 feet tall.
--
David in Normandy

In message , David in
Normandy writes
Are there different varieties?

I've just been looking out the window at the rain and wind
and noticed two of our mature silver birch trees look a bit
different. One has fine twigs that cascade downwards from
the branches and the other has erect twigs. Both trees are
multi-stem and around 50 feet tall.

In Britain there are three species of Birch, the Silver Birch (Betula
pendula), the Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) and the Dwarf Birch (Betula
nana). (Betula nana is not found in the lowlands.)

There might be more species present in Europe, but most of the published
names represent synonyms and subspecies of B. pendula and B. pubescens.

Hybrids among the native birches are common, and it is hard to draw a
line between the two species.

It is possible that you've got a Betula pendula (with downward cascading
twigs) and a Betula pubescens, but even after looking at the trees in
life it might not be possible to say for certain.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Stewart Robert Hinsley says...
In message , David in
Normandy writes
Are there different varieties?

I've just been looking out the window at the rain and wind
and noticed two of our mature silver birch trees look a bit
different. One has fine twigs that cascade downwards from
the branches and the other has erect twigs. Both trees are
multi-stem and around 50 feet tall.

In Britain there are three species of Birch, the Silver Birch (Betula
pendula), the Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) and the Dwarf Birch (Betula
nana). (Betula nana is not found in the lowlands.)

There might be more species present in Europe, but most of the published
names represent synonyms and subspecies of B. pendula and B. pubescens.

Hybrids among the native birches are common, and it is hard to draw a
line between the two species.

It is possible that you've got a Betula pendula (with downward cascading
twigs) and a Betula pubescens, but even after looking at the trees in
life it might not be possible to say for certain.


Thanks for the information.

The one with downward cascading twigs looks really elegant.
Impossible to tell a difference just looking at the trunks
though. Both have the characteristic silver peeling bark.
--
David in Normandy

On 15/1/08 16:55, in article ,
"David in Normandy" wrote:

snip

The one with downward cascading twigs looks really elegant.
Impossible to tell a difference just looking at the trunks
though. Both have the characteristic silver peeling bark.

Betula jacquemontii is a real beauty and certainly worth consideration.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:00:35 +0100, David in Normandy wrote:

Are there different varieties?

I've just been looking out the window at the rain and wind
and noticed two of our mature silver birch trees look a bit
different. One has fine twigs that cascade downwards from
the branches and the other has erect twigs. Both trees are
multi-stem and around 50 feet tall.

Looking out of my window, one of my neighbour's silver birches has droopy twigs on the
leeward side and upright twigs on the windy side. The droopy twigs are not wind-blown
oddities like one sees on the edge of moors, but delicate and seem to have blobs on the
end which remind me of tiny cones (I am some way off) where the upright ones have no blobs
on the ends.

Kath

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:35:29 +0000, wrote:

On Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:00:35 +0100, David in Normandy wrote:

Are there different varieties?

I've just been looking out the window at the rain and wind
and noticed two of our mature silver birch trees look a bit
different. One has fine twigs that cascade downwards from
the branches and the other has erect twigs. Both trees are
multi-stem and around 50 feet tall.

Looking out of my window, one of my neighbour's silver birches has droopy twigs on the
leeward side and upright twigs on the windy side. The droopy twigs are not wind-blown
oddities like one sees on the edge of moors, but delicate and seem to have blobs on the
end which remind me of tiny cones (I am some way off) where the upright ones have no blobs
on the ends.

I have just returned from a tour of New Zealand.
It was sad to see how much of the land has been cleared of native
vegetation and planted with boring stands of pines for timber.

Coming home by coach down the M4, 10 days ago in about the only sun
I've seen since returning, we remarked at how lovely the sides of the
road looked, with a mixture of pines and birches. The winter sun
shining on the white trunks was quite a sight to see. You can't beat
our native birches.


Pam in Bristol