Betula utilis Nepalese Orange - Himalayan Birch

Betula utilis 'Nepalese Orange' is an exceptional variety, prized for its unusual smooth bark: initially cream-coloured, it peels off in strips revealing pale coppery-orange hues which become much deeper, punctuated by prominent horizontal bands of lenticels! It is a slow-growing, medium-sized tree with a fairly slender shape and a slightly spreading canopy. Sometimes grown with multiple trunks, it is particularly ornamental during the winter season. Its dark green, deciduous foliage is quite airy, providing light shade in summer before turning golden yellow in autumn. It is a very hardy tree, much appreciated for its easy cultivation in moderately dry, well-drained soils, in full sun or partial shade. Spectacular when planted as a free-standing specimen near a terrace or in dense groups!

The Himalayan birch, Betula humilis in Latin, belongs to the Betulaceae family. It is native to western Asia, from Afghanistan to western China and northwest India. There are some particularly ornamental cultivars, including 'Nepalese Orange', which is distinctive for its bark peeling off in strips to reveal a deep and pale coppery-orange trunk, decorated with large horizontal lenticels. This variety was selected by Kenneth Ashburner from seed collected in Topke Gola, Nepal, in 1971. In nature, this tree can reach a height of 20 m (65 ft 7 in). Very cold-resistant, this birch is fairly slow growing, reaching a height of about 6 m (19 ft 8 in) and a spread of 4 m (13 ft 1 in) after 10 years. Its shallow root system makes it sensitive to prolonged drought and strong winds, which can uproot it. This light-loving species is perfectly adapted to northern gardens and mountain climates. It prefers well-drained, slightly acid soils but can tolerate the presence of lime and damper soils.

It is a small to medium-sized tree with a slightly conical habit and an open, somewhat loose, slightly spreading canopy, reaching a maximum height of 15 m (49 ft 2 in) with a 6 m (19 ft 8 in) spread. It will form a single trunk with low branches, sometimes developing into a tree with multiple stems or trunks. The main attraction of the Himalayan birch is the smooth bark on the trunk as well as on the branches, which peels off in strips and turns very white after 4 to 6 years. On the trunk, there are narrow, regular, horizontal scars, called lenticels. Its foliage is deciduous, falling in autumn and regrowing each spring. Its young branchlets have oval-shaped leaves, entire and pointed, finely toothed along the edges, 5 to 7 cm (2 to 2.8 in) long and 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2 in) wide. The leaf blade is fairly dark green, shiny on the upper side, paler and matte on the underside. The foliage turns golden yellow in autumn before falling. The inconspicuous flowers consisting of pendulous, yellow-brown catkins bloom in March-April.

The main attraction of the 'Nepalese Orange' Himalayan birch is its gorgeous bark that peels off in coloured strips throughout the year, particularly spectacular in winter when the tree is devoid of foliage. It is usually planted as a specimen or in small groups, in a strategic spot in the garden so that its distinctive white silhouette can be admired from a window. Combine it with astilbes, hostas, and ferns near its base if the soil is moist there, or plant masses of snowdrops, crocuses, wood hyacinths (Scilla nutans), as well as tulips.