A medium sized birch tree with resistance to the Bronze Birch Borer and Birch Leaf Miner.
Pronunciation
(BET-you-la)(plat-i-FIL-ah)
Plant Type
All Plants, Trees Deciduous
Hardiness Zone
4-7
Sunlight
full sun
Moisture
Prefers moist to average growing conditions. In dry conditions the plant becomes stressed and this lowers it's resistance to the problems associated with Birch.
Soil & Site
prefers moist well drained soils.
Temperature
Better resistant when grown in it's northern region as compared to the hot, dry south.
Leaves
simple, alternate, glossy dark green, yellow in the fall and doubly serrated.
Stems
bark is chalk white, doesn't exfoliate
Dimensions
reaches 20-25 by 30-40 feet and is pyramidal.
Propagation
The most resistant plants must be clones of the original plant. Seed grown plants lack much of the desired resistance.
Cultivar Origin
The original seed was collected by John L. Creech in 1951 in Japan. Seeds were grown and one was selected by Dr. Hasselkus of the University of Wisconsin as the best form and resistance to Bronze Birch Borer. The original tree is still living at the University's Arboretum (as of 2015)
Notes & Reference
#93-North American Landscape Trees (Arthur Lee Jacobson)