Betula utilis var. jacquemontii - Himalayan Birch

Betula utilis jacquemontii is a very beautiful form of the Himalayan birch selected for its regular shape and the beauty of its very white bark that peels off in strips over a darker, new bark. While it takes a few years to reveal itself in all its splendour, this winter star remains a classic for white and contemporary gardens. Its airy canopy provides light shade and its foliage turns a beautiful yellow colour in autumn. Very hardy and adaptable to different soil types, it is also very versatile: it can be left to grow freely, on a single trunk, or pollarded to limit its development in a small garden.

The West Himalayan birch, in Latin Betula humilis, belongs to the family of Betulaceae. It is native to western Asia, from Afghanistan to western China and northwest India. There are some particularly ornamental cultivars, among which 'jacquemontii', which stands out for its very white bark. In nature, this tree can reach a height of 20 m (65 ft 7 in). Very cold-resistant, it grows more slowly than other birches, around 20 cm (7.9 in) per year. 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 montainous climates. It prefers well-drained, slightly acid soils, but can tolerate the some lime.

This is a tall tree with an oval, open, quite loose, light canopy, reaching 15 to 18 m (49 ft 2 in to 59 ft 1 in) in height and 5 m (16 ft 5 in) in spread in our gardens. It forms a single trunk with quite low branches, sometimes developing into a multi-stemmed tree, with several stems or trunks. The main attraction of the Himalayan birch is the smooth bark on the trunk and sometimes on the branches, which peels off in strips and becomes very white after 4 to 6 years. On the trunk, there are regular, narrow, horizontal scars called lenticels. Its foliage is deciduous, falling in autumn and reappearing every spring. Its young reddish branches bear oval-shaped, entire and pointed leaves, finely toothed at 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 a rather dark green, shiny on the upper surface, paler and matte on the underside. The foliage turns golden yellow in autumn before falling. The inconspicuous flowers, pendulous yellow-green, bloom in April-May.

The main attraction of the Himalayan birch is its sublime pure white bark throughout the seasons, particularly spectacular in winter when the tree is devoid of foliage. It is mainly planted as a free-standing specimen, in a strategic spot in the garden where its very white outline can be admired from a window.It can be combined with astilbes, hostas, and ferns nearby if the soil remains consistently moist. Alternatively, mass plantings of snowdrops, crocuses, wood hyacinths (Scilla nutans), and tulips can be planted around its base.