Windswept Betula Pendula

Tree’s that provide us with inspiration.
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Per PF
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Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by Per PF »

Pretty cool imho :)
IMG_4138 (kopia).jpg
Here's a closer of the nebari (in general they don't have a massive nebari):
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by greg27 »

I'm a bit jealous of all your betula photos Per. I'm a big silver birch fan but they don't tend to thrive here in Adelaide and usually grow thin and look kind of sad. They're still popular though. Mount Gambier, a town on a dormant volcano about a five hour drive away, has some impressive garden specimens though - the climate is a bit cooler and the soil much more fertile. Good wine region too!
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by melbrackstone »

Is it windswept, or kidswept? Picnic areas where kids play often supply some interesting tortured specimens! Looks like a beautiful tree!
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by Per PF »

Cheers Greg, I feel the same about your native species! :mrgreen:
I guess Betulas have a special place in my heart too. I grew up on a street called “Birch man’s road” in a house literally surrounded by birches (they were planted as a fence all around the yard). It was one of the relatively few trees that could tolerate Zone 1. They were almost always very skinny though.

That’s interesting to hear about the species popularity down there and the dormant volcano part. I think birches are considered a “pioneer tree” in that they are often the first to establish in a new environment?

Nowadays that I live in Zone 7 I’m amazed at all the majestic specimens they have here in the south. I’ve seen birch -branches- here being much thicker than any -tree- in my hometown. My second favorite bonsai material is my birch - #1 being my Cassuarina :aussie:
@melbrackstone It might very well be kidswept, hadn’t considered that! :P
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by Starfox »

That is a cool tree, I recently added a young Birch to my lot.

Fingers firmly crossed though.
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by Per PF »

Nice tree, seems to be a few steps ahead already - some taper and pretty balanced foliage :tu: :fc:
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by Ryceman3 »

Starfox wrote: April 12th, 2021, 7:22 pm That is a cool tree, I recently added a young Birch to my lot.

Fingers firmly crossed though.

IMG_9860.JPGn.jpgx.jpg
I'm slightly concerned Starfox. From the pic you posted it appears you may have run out of Coopers!?!??
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by shibui »

Birch have been frustrating for me. Lots of branch dieback but new shoots always grew from the base of any branch that died.
I have since read that pruning in winter causes branches to die so summer pruning may be advisable.
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by treeman »

shibui wrote: April 13th, 2021, 2:28 pm Birch have been frustrating for me. Lots of branch dieback but new shoots always grew from the base of any branch that died.
I have since read that pruning in winter causes branches to die so summer pruning may be advisable.
Also, consider low P, lowish N and try to make sure they have mycorrhizae by including some material from under a healthy birch. In other words they prefer poor soils but like to be wet.
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by Per PF »

shibui wrote: April 13th, 2021, 2:28 pm I have since read that pruning in winter causes branches to die so summer pruning may be advisable.
I have also read this and yet I forgot about it and reduced the trunks in winter... :palm: Here's hoping it will power on :fc:
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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by LLK »

I also love birches, but never had any success growing them as bonsai. Per, your tree is charming, but why call it 'windswept' ? I'd rather go for 'leaning'. Anyway, I saw some interesting plantings in a garden and on a wide nature strip. In the garden it was a group of three, and on the nature strip there were two groups, each consisting of a birch with a robust Grevillea next to it. Then a horticulturist told me that the Grevillea with its fast-spreading roots opened the soil for the more delicate birch roots to grow; he also said that you get better results with planting birches in groups. If I ever get a young birch again, I'll try to combine it with a couple of Chinese elms. (Not Grevilleas!)

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Re: Windswept Betula Pendula

Post by Per PF »

I might have been a bit off on the windswept.. :palm: Leaning, yes. I'm not on top of all the lingo yet.

That's interesting about the Grevillea and birch - over here it usually happens with spruce and birch. You can find spruces with birches growing from their root base.
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