Betula pendula Magical Globe - Birch

Betula pendula 'Magical Globe', also known as 'Lollipop birch' in Australia, is a natural mutation of the common birch, selected for its small size and dense ball-shaped habit, perfect for embellishing large pots and small gardens! Depending on the height of the graft, this slow-growing variety can develop into a miniature tree or a compact bush. Its deciduous, glossy, tender green foliage is vibrant, and warms up the garden in autumn with its yellow hues. It is a highly hardy species that adapts to all light conditions as long as its not too dry, and requires no pruning. Use the standard stem selections to frame an entrance or to add height to small gardens.

Native to mainly central Europe and temperate Asia, the Betula verrucosa, is a tree belonging to the birch family. Extremely cold-resistant, it can thrive in acidic, waterlogged, sandy, clay, and limestone soils. It naturally has a pyramidal habit, a more or less straight trunk, and a generally oval, semi-open, airy crown, with long, almost upright branches that have pendulous twigs at an acute angle. In nature, some specimens reach a height of 30m (98ft 5in). Its annual growth is about 35cm (13.8in) in height and 20cm (7.9in) in width.

The 'Magical Globe' variety is a natural mutation discovered in 1999 by Colin James of JFT Nurseries in Australia and was named 'Lollipop Birch' due to its particular shape. It is a dwarf variety of the common birch, not exceeding 1m (3ft 4in) in height, although its total height depends on the height of the graft point. Some are produced to form a low bush of 1m (3ft 4in) in all directions, while others can reach a height of 3m (9ft 10in) if grafted on a 2m (6ft 7in) trunk. Its habit is not weeping like most cultivars of this species, it naturally develops into a compact ball-shaped habit. The trunk is covered with a smooth brown bark on young specimens. With time, it becomes white and flakes off in chips. On mature specimens, it becomes black at the base of the trunk, with a rough, channelled appearance and deep crevices. The pendulous twigs are reddish-brown. The deciduous foliage appears early in spring and consists of triangular, glossy, tender green leaves, 3 to 6cm (1.2 to 2.4in) long, with doubly toothed edges. They turn a beautiful yellow colour before falling. The March to April flowering is discreet with yellow-green catkins, 1cm (0.4in) long. The root system of this birch is taproot-like, producing lateral main roots with a very dense network of small surface feeder roots.

Betula verrucosa is a tree that thrives in the sun or partial shade in cool, moist, soils, but tolerates all well-drained soil types and drought once established. In the garden, it requires no maintenance, is extremely cold-resistant, and not very susceptible to diseases. It deserves a prominent place, either isolated or at the edge of a large garden or in the centre of a group of low shrubs. To cover the base of this tree, which dries out the soil from spring to summer, it is advisable to choose plants adapted to these conditions: heathers, small grasses like Stipa pennata, Carex, and Ophiopogon. It can also be planted in front of a grove of trees chosen for their foliage or decorative bark, such as Acer griseum or Betula albosinensis. Maples, Nyssa sylvatica, a caramel tree, a Chinese mahogany, or a white willow will create a splendid backdrop for this beautiful tree.