About
Betula 'Royal Frost' is an upright cultivar that features deep purple foliage and distinctive white bark, with younger stems displaying a brown hue. When cultivated in partial shade, the leaves tend to exhibit a greener tone. This tree reaches a height of around 7 meters and showcases yellow coloration in the autumn.
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, Alkaline, Acid
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, South-facing, North-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Trees
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 8-12 metres
- Spread
- wider than 8 metres
- Time to full height
- 20-50 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Will grow in a wide range of situations, but the best purple colour develops in sun. This hybrid likes soil that doesn't dry out completely. See tree cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- Pruning group1
- Propagation
- Propagate by softwood cuttings or grafting
- 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