Forum home Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

silver birch for front garden

2

Posts

  • I'm going to put a crab apple in ours once I get round to it.

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    The white Stellata ones are lovely art. Don't think they get too big but I could be wrong about that. 

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • MrsGardenMrsGarden Posts: 3,951
    Prunus amanogawa ( or similar) ( excuse spelling). Tall column shape, seen in lots of tlfront gardens near me.
  • MrsGardenMrsGarden Posts: 3,951
    Trying to remember which trees I loved but discounted recently as I needed large trees...

    Cercis, Acer ( not if exposed site), sambucus nigra, witch hazel,sorbus,



    Do you want height, width, autumn colour, flowers, easy care?
  • Have a friend in the village whose magnificent magnolia reached the foundations of her house and she had to claim through insurance to have it sorted.  However, the insurance company has allowed her to replant in the same distance from the house provided it was with an amelanchier shrub.  Just looked this up to get correct spelling and some of them also grow very tall.

  • There are some very good birch cultivars that are very narrow-growing, and birches tend to have shallow roots. I reckon that in this situation you should regard any tree as temporary. When it's ten years old cut it down, dig it out and start again with a new one. Works out at about £4 per year, which is far cheaper than Cabernet Sauvignon and you don't get the hangover either.

  • Forester2Forester2 Posts: 1,477

    We have a birch in the back garden which is 40 feet away from the house, but I certainly would not recommend it unless you have a generous sized garden.  How about a Pansy Tree which will not grow too big and can even be classed as a large shrub.  Lovely red leaves.  It does like a sunny spot.

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340

    Acers are nice-

    image

    image

     and don't get  too big. This one's about 25yrs old

     


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Invicta2Invicta2 Posts: 663

    There is a small variety of Silver birch called Young's Weeping Birch. There are three planted together in a Cemetery near me. They are about 15ft high and have not increased in height since the early 1980's.

  • MP2MP2 Posts: 25

    Thanks for all these suggestions I'll probably go for a shrub or an acer instead!

Sign In or Register to comment.