The author of the text is Dr Przemysław Bąbelewski
Birch trees are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful types of trees and shrubs found in the temperate and arctic regions of the northern hemisphere. This genus includes about 40 species. In Poland, five naturally grow. The warty birch and the mossy birch form trees with picturesque trunks and branches.Their pride is primarily the bark, which in young trees is dark, then whitening.
Other species are small trees, such as paternal birch, or shrubs that mostly grow in high mountains or in peat bogs in the Arctic zone.In the Polish flora, in forests, thickets and peat bogs, we find warty, mossy, low, dwarf and paternal birch .
Conditions favorable to birch trees
Birch trees like sunny positions. They grow well in all soils, but preferably in poor soils.Some, such as warty birch, are drought tolerant. Others, such as mossy birch, like fertile, moist and fresh soil.They grow rapidly. In gardens, they apply to plantings, both single and in groups, in combination with spruce and pine trees.
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Perfect for planting in open landscapes, highly urbanized cities and industrial areas. They tolerate air and soil pollution well. Birch trees are very susceptible to mechanical damage to the bark, so they should not be planted directly next to roads and streets.
In Poland, the most common birch is Betula pendula.It grows in dry and barren soils together with Scots pine, heather in pine and mixed forests.This birch grows up to 30 m. It produces long, overhanging branches and boughs, which are very characteristic of her silhouettes. It has a slender straight trunk and trees are often multi-stemmed.
Grows fast, reaches final height at the age of 50 and lives around 90-120 years. Its bark is snow-white and shiny, circularly scaly with transverse black stripes. At the base of older trees, the bark is almost black and deeply fissured.This birch develops its leaves very early in the spring. It is a pioneering species, it can be planted in the driest, barren and sandy soils.
It is used to rehabilitate areas damaged by open-cast mines and industry. It is perfectly sown on wastelands, rubble, and even on roofs and gutters. The root system is very strong and dense, but shallow.This causes the tree to become very sterile for the soil and prevent other plants from growing in close proximity. Birch sap contains fructose, minerals and trace elements. It is used in the production of beer, syrups, hair water.
Trees and shrubs with incredible autumn colors
Unique horticultural varieties
There are numerous horticultural varieties used in cultivation: 'Youngii' with an umbrella-shaped crown formed by hanging branches bent downwards, 'Crispa' with heavily jagged leaves, 'Fastigiata' with upright and column-like branches, 'Dalecarlica 'having deeply cut leaves set on long, thin, dangling branches,' Golden Cloud 'with golden yellow shiny leaves,' Gracilis' with drooping branches and jagged leaves, 'Obelisk' forming trees with a very narrow columnar shape, 'Purpurea' creating dark purple leaves , 'Schneverdingen Goldbirke' with dull golden-yellow leaves.
The second popular species is the mossy birch Betula pubescens, forming a dense crown with boughs and raised branches. It grows up to 30 m. The bark remains white for longer, and in older trees it is gray-white.Naturally, it can be found on wet, marshy and peaty soils, tolerates longer flooding.In the garden it should be planted on fresh, humus soils with a high level of groundwater, even wet and wet.
The nurseries offer horticultural varieties: 'Aurea' with dull yellow leaves, 'Rubra' with round leaves, strongly colored in red purple and 'Yellow Wings' with lemon-yellow leaves.
While walking around the Ojców National Park in the part of the Prądnik Valley and in the Bolechowice Valley, we can meet the Betula oycoviensis father birch, resembling warty birch, but with a bushy habit.It is completely protected by law. It is rarely grown in gardens.
Dwarf birch Betula nana L. is a low shrub of various heights, growing from 20 to 70 cm. Its shoots overlap and they take root over time.It is the lowest of all natural birches in Poland.The branches of this shrub lie overlapping and the ends rise arched. The leaves turn orange or red in autumn. Birch flowers, popularly known as cats, ripen in April.
In gardens, dwarf birch and low birch look good when planted in damp places together with sedges and mud forests. They can also grow in naturalistic beds with heathers and in rock gardens. In autumn they turn red and yellow, then the bushes are very decorative.Run in a stalk form, which is obtained as a result of grafting, they create picturesque low trees, suitable for planting in containers. They grow well in moist, acidic soils, in a sunny or semi-shaded position.
Low birch, that is …
… Betula humilis grows naturally in Poland and throughout Central Europe, in Eastern Siberia, to northern Mongolia, and in detached sites in the foothills of the Alps and Carpathians.
It is in Poland that the southern border of its range runs. It can be found on low peat bogs, wet meadows and in willow thickets in Pomerania, Polesie and the Lublin region.It is described by ecologists as a glacial relic and is under strict species protection.Creates dense shrubs up to 2-3 m. The bark on the shoots is reddish-brown, and the young shoots are covered with hairs with distinct yellow glands .
