Plant of the Week: Birch
Betula may be commonplace but is as elegant as they come, pale-barked, whisper-leaved and a joy to behold the year round.
The well-known Silver Birch can reach 35ft in height, but there are more compact forms; even weeping forms; columns; purple-leaved; with flaking bark. All thrive in reasonable soil, and they can tolerate full sun or partial shade.
One of the prettiest is the small Betula pendula 'Youngii' which is ideal for most small gardens.
For bark alone, B costata is a gem with its creamy-white skin tinged with lemon – although it will probably grow too large for your average suburban plot.