Silver Birch Trees

• Variety: Silver Birch, the native Lady of the Woods
• Common name: Silver birch
• Latin name: Betula pendula
• Type: Deciduous tree
• UK native: Yes
• Mature height: Up to 25m (80ft)
• Spread: More than 8m
• Habit: Narrowly conical, with slender drooping twigs
• Bark: Peeling white, turning black and rugged at the base
• Autumn colour: Yellow
• Catkins: Yellow-brown, in early spring
• Soil: Any, acid or alkaline
• Position: Full sun or light shade
• Hardiness: H7, hardy anywhere in the UK
• Good for: Dappled shade, small groups, wildlife gardens
• Similar varieties: Himalayan Birch (white to the base), Paper Birch
• Sold as: Bareroot standards, 6/8cm and 8/10cm girth. Pot-grown standard, 200/250cm tall in a 7.5 litre pot
• Plant: Bareroot from November to April. Pot-grown in any month
• Delivered: Bareroot November to April, pot-grown all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Silver Birch, Betula pendula, is the native birch: a narrowly conical deciduous tree up to 25m with peeling white bark, slender drooping twigs and yellow autumn leaves. It is hardy anywhere in Britain, grows in any soil and casts shade light enough to garden under.

Silver Birch Trees

The Common Silver Birch tree, Betula pendula, is a handsome, vigorous, slender, medium-sized British native. The pale, near-white bark of mature trees is a lovely feature throughout the year; it's relatively smooth and peels over time, which keeps it looking white and bright. Older trees develop dark ridges as they mature, especially at the base.
The light, feathery canopy of supple, leafy stems hanging from the main branches flutters and sways in the breeze, only casting gentle dappled shade, so many plants can be grown underneath it.
Silver Birch catkins are yellow-green, appearing in early spring and are a valuable source of pollen for insects coming out of hibernation early.

In the right position, it can reach a height of about 25 metres.

Standard trees are the largest size that we deliver; you can also buy younger Silver Birch saplings.
Browse our other birch trees, or our full range of ornamental trees.

Delivery season: Birches are delivered bareroot during late autumn and winter, approximately November-April inclusive. Pot-grown trees are delivered all year, whenever they are in stock.
Choosing a size: Small trees are cheaper, easier to handle and more forgiving of less than ideal aftercare, so they're best for a big planting project. If instant impact is your priority, or if you are only buying a few plants for use in a place where it's convenient to water them well in their first year, then you may as well use bigger ones. All our bareroot trees are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Growing Silver Birch

It's happy in most soils and prefers a sunny site, but will tolerate light shade. It's commonly found growing wild at the edge of a mature wood and in damp places that larger trees dislike.

Pruning should be kept to a minimum: it tends to spoil their shape, so just remove ill placed and broken or damaged branches in late Autumn, as pruning cuts bleed excessively in late Winter and Spring.

History & Trivia

Known as the Lady of the Woods, it is one of the most native British trees: it was here before the last Ice Age and was one of the first trees to return from Europe when the ice pulled back from the soggy southern edge of the land that would become England. Its flexible, oily bark was invaluable to our ancestors, who used it for roofs, boats and even clothing. These days it is used for paper pulp and making high-grade charcoal for artists. It is good firewood, but it burns up quickly.

As trees go, the whole Birch family is short-lived: 80-100 years is a good age.

Other common names include bed wen, birk, and warty birch.

Standard trees are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level: their trunk's waist measurement. Unlike sapling trees and hedge plants, standards aren't measured by their height, which will vary quite a bit both between and within species.
So, a 6/8cm standard tree has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8cm and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10cm around. This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height.
On average, standard trees are 2-3.5 metres tall when they arrive, but we cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.

Planting Companions

The native sits well with other natives. A Rowan gives you berries where the birch gives you bark, and both are at home on poor, acid ground. For bark that stays white to the base, plant a Himalayan Birch alongside, or a Paper Birch for the American version. There are more in our native British trees and trees for wildlife.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge Nurseries has supplied trees since 1949 and holds the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award. Your silver birch comes bareroot in two sizes or pot-grown, and bareroot is the better value. Bareroot trees carry a 12 month guarantee, as do pot-grown trees delivered leafless between November and March.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall does a silver birch grow?

Up to 25m, with a spread of more than 8m. It is fast for its first fifteen years and slower after. In a garden, plant a group of three and let them compete.

What is the difference between silver birch and Himalayan birch?

Silver birch is the native, with weeping twig tips and bark that blackens and cracks at the base. Himalayan birch keeps brilliant white bark right down the trunk. Both are hardy to H7.

Do you sell a multi-stem silver birch?

Yes, pot-grown, on the silver birch sapling page. Or make your own by planting three young trees in one hole. Plant silver birch in small groups, or grow it as a multi-stemmed specimen.

Is silver birch good for bees and wildlife?

It is wind-pollinated, so it carries no pollinator badge, but the early catkins offer pollen when little else is about. As a native it earns its place in a wildlife garden.

Can I grow a silver birch in a pot?

No. This is a 25m tree with shallow, wide roots, and it sulks in a container within a couple of years. Trinity College is the only birch to keep in a large pot, and then not for long.