Betula nana Golden Treasure - Dwarf Birch

Betula nana Golden Treasure is an excellent addition to any garden. This plant is a type of dwarf birch that was immensely popular in the 70s but then forgotten. However, the Golden Treasure variety is anything but dull. It forms a compact golden bush that looks like a ball of golden fog and retains its beautiful appearance from summer to autumn. Moreover, it's a hardy and adaptable plant that can tolerate shallow soils and container gardening as long as the soil remains moist. This makes it perfect for small urban gardens, balconies, and sunny terraces.

The Golden Treasure Dwarf Birch is a cultivated variety of Betula nana, a small undershrub from the birch family. This species is commonly found in peat bogs, acidic heathlands of central and northern Europe, and boreal and arctic regions of Asia and America. The Golden Treasure Dwarf Birch has a compact and rounded shape, and it grows slowly, reaching a maximum of 1m (3 ft) in all directions. Its deciduous leaves are triangular with serrated edges, measuring less than 1 cm (0.4 in) each. The leaves are acid green in spring, while in summer and autumn, they turn golden yellow. The Golden Treasure Dwarf Birch blooms in May, producing female aments that are yellow-brown, upright, ovoid, and cylindrical.

The main attraction of the golden dwarf birch is its golden foliage, but its small size is a real asset for small spaces, rockeries, or flower containers. Planting with red or purple grasses, such as 'Red Baron' Imperata or Phormium tenax Purpureum, is fabulous, both in flower beds and on the terrace. All colourful foliage will accompany it: that of Physocarpus 'Diable d'Or', 'Diabolo', 'Lady in Red' or 'Midnight', Heuchera XXL, or 'Jofloma' Hydrangea macrophylla. Summer and acid-loving heathers, such as callunas, are perfect companions for this bush that grows alongside them in boreal heathlands.