TREE OF THE MONTH
By Len Phillips , ASLA Emeritus Photos provided by J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.
Trade Name: Dura-Heat® Birch (previ- ously known as 'Moonshine' River Birch) Botanical Name: Betula nigra 'BNMTF' Family: Betulaceae Parentage: A chance seedling by Dwayne Moon of Moon's Tree Farm Year of Introduction: 2000 Height: 35 to 40 feet Spread: 25 to 30 feet Form: Broadly pyramidal Flower: Brownish-green catkins Fruit: Small brown nutlet Foliage: Deep green, healthy foliage, denser canopy than other River Birch selections Spring Color: Light green leaves after catkins
Summer Foliage: Heat resistant foliage that is glossy and deep green Autumn Foliage: Butter yellow
26 Arbor Age / September 2012
Winter Color: Beautiful bark all winter Bark: Exfoliating bark of white, salmon to cinnamon colors, begins at young age Habitat: East Coast to upper Midwest Culture: Well drained, moist, acidic soil Site Requirements: Full sun is preferred Hardiness Zone*: 4 – 9 Growth Rate: Fast, full size in 20 years Pest Resistance: Aphid, leaf spot, and Bronze Birch Borer resistant, basically trouble-free
Storm Resistance: Excellent Salt Resistance: Good to fair Planting: Transplant B&B or container, bare root transplanting is moderately difficult Pruning: Prune at planting and 3 years later to mature form but not in late winter to spring
Propagating: Softwood cuttings in summer Design Uses: Outstanding selection for residential or commercial landscapes Companions: Best in groves of three to five trees with evergreens and ferns as groundcovers Other Comments: A superior new selection, similar to and more heat tolerant than 'Heritage' River Birch Available From: Most nurseries
* For information about the USDA Hardiness Zone Map, visit www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/index.html
These are the personal observations of the author, living in New England – Zone 5b. Len Phillips can be reached via e-mail at lenphillips@on-line-seminars.com.
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