About
Betula nana is a small birch that reaches a maximum height of 75 cm. It features small, rounded leaves with serrated edges that display vibrant red and yellow hues in the fall. This species is well-suited for rock gardens.
About the genus
Betula comprises both deciduous trees and shrubs, known for their vibrant autumn foliage and distinctive bark that can be white, pink, or brown and peeling. In spring, male and female catkins emerge separately, preceding or coinciding with leaf growth.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand, Clay, Chalk
- Soil pH
- Neutral, Acid, Alkaline
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, South-facing, North-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy, Spreading branched, Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Rock garden
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Will grow in a wide range of situations, sun or part shade. Ideal for a rock garden
- Pruning
- Pruning group 1; birches bleed heavily, prune only when fully dormant from late summer to before mid-winter
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in a seed bed in autumn or take softwood cuttings in summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to birch borers, leaf-mining sawflies and aphids
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus, a tree rust and powdery mildews