Betula nigra 'Black Star' | River Birch Tree | 9L Pot | 120-150cm
Adorn your landscape with striking texture and a mix of beautiful shades...
A stunning River Birch variety, Betula nigra 'Black Star' will ornament your landscape all year round with its charmingly rugged display of peeling bark. Overtime, you will find that this Birch's bark will become more varied in colour, resulting in a tree that is unique to every garden! The pointed, medium green leaves compliment the neat shape of this tree, and come autumn, will evolve to a fine golden shade. Unlike many other trees, this River Birch will not need to be pruned, so is a great choice for those after a low maintenance plant.
Variety Information
- Bark Colour: Pink, before sporting more colours
- Foliage Colour: Green, gold in autumn
- Ideal Position: Full sun or part shade
- Features: Lasting foliage, colourful, peeling bark, low maintenance.
- Supplied As: 9 litre pot
- Deciduous?: Yes
- Age: 2 Years
- Height On Arrival: 4-5ft
- Eventual Height & Spread - Eventual size depends on both environmental and genetic conditions.: 8m (26ft) x 4m (13ft) (Based on 20 years)
Packaging
We have developed an eco friendly pot that is currently in use across our 9 litre range. This pot has less than 20% of the plastic used by a regular pot, and is importantly recyclable. These pots also prevent root spiralling, encouraging a healthier root system.
All trees arrive in an extra thick cardboard box with a clamp to hold their pot in place. This prevents them from moving around on their journey.
Nursery staff will wrap the roots of our bare root trees and use compost to keep them moist during transportation. This extra protection prevents them from drying out, allowing for a flying start. We also use the same specialised box that our potted trees have to keep them nice and secure as they make their way to your home.
Please note: where your plant is supplied with a pot, your plant's 'Height on Arrival' includes the pot
Birch trees are easy to grow. Their growth and output will likely be excellent providing you follow our planting and care instructions. Below we address some common query topics:
- Hardiness: Some species of Birch are native to the UK, and the species that aren't are from much colder regions, so the UK's mild winters will not harm your tree.
- Position: Birch trees benefit from being planted in full sun. Planting them in a sheltered spot will also help them put more resources into flowering.
- Soil: Soil types can be an unwelcome confusion as many plants will adapt to their conditions. However, less than ideal conditions will certainly limit your Birch tree's growth. Waterlogged soils will starve your tree of oxygen, which plays a key role in photosynthesis - causing its roots to rot and creating an optimal environment for disease. Similarly, compressed soils can starve a tree of oxygen and water, so try not to compress the soil when planting.
Advice on hot and droopy plants
If your plants are looking a little wilted right now, don’t worry! Plants like to be filled with water to keep their structure, and when it’s hot that water evaporates.
Just give them an off-schedule watering and they’ll be right as rain in no time! Be careful not to flood them - plants don’t like extremes.
Bare root and containerised trees have differing planting requirements, detailed below:
- Watering: Bare root trees should have their roots soaked in water for up to 2 hours before planting, while with containerised trees, it is important to drench their root ball before planting.
- Pruning: Another difference is that for bare root trees, it is useful to prune their woody roots back a few inches. However, for containerised trees, you should free any spiralized roots growing around their rootball's circumference.
- Planting: With bare root trees, you should dig a hole to enable the graft point to be above the soil, while with containerised trees, the pot should sit no lower than an inch below the ground.
Bare root and containerised trees also share planting requirements, detailed below:
- With both, you should dig a hole that is twice the radius of their rootball. Stake your trees no more than 2 - 3 inches from the stem, and make sure that they are pointing away from the prevailing wind.
- Fill the planting hole with a mix of compost and garden soil, finishing with fertiliser and mycorrhizal fungi. Take care to not compress the soil.
- Once you are happy with your efforts, give your tree a generous watering.
- Add mulch on top (this can be bark and wood chippings, compost, manure, leaf-mould, and stones), and ensure that these do not touch the stem of the tree.
- Tie the stake to your tree (and leave space for growth), and place a rabbit guard around your tree to protect it from harmful pests.
- Apply fertiliser and replace decomposed mulch come spring. In autumn, remove fallen leaves to prevent the risk of disease. You should also make sure that the ties are not rubbing your tree.
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We'll refund the full cost as well as standard delivery.
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| Deciduous Or Evergreen | Deciduous |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Birch |
| Is Collection/Mix? | No |
| Needs Ericaceous Compost? | No |
| Species | Betula nigra |
| Stem/Bark/Cane Colour | Brown, White |
| Type | Ornamental Trees |
| Eventual Height | 8m-12m |
| Eventual Spread | 4m-8m |
| Foliage Colour | Green, Yellow |
| Supplied As | Potted |
| Supplied As | 9L-14L Pot |
| Type | Ornamental Trees |
| Latin Name | Betula |
| Shop By Category | Ornamental Trees |