Want to plant a birch tree...which kind?

[nikki1]

I am in love with birch trees, and now that we own our own place I can actually plant big things like trees. I have an ideal birch tree spot that will keep the roots cool and moist, the leaves sunny, and is right where I can see it from nearly any spot in my front or back yard. But which kind?

The kind I love is the kind with the cut-edged leaves and weeping branches. Locally, I see at the nurseries that "river birch" is most common. Is that the kind I'm looking for? A tree is a long-term commitment, and I don't want to get it wrong!

--Nikki

 

[wyoDreamer]

A river birch has a darker, scaley like bark - not like a paper birch which peels off in sheets.
It is an upright tree that grows fairly quickly and has a shorter life span.
It doesn't have much for droopy limbs, it is fairly upright.

 

[sgtmom52]

I bought a Royal Frost birch last summer. It is a clump birch with 3 trunks. It has white bark and purple leaves. It is still fairly small and I can't wait until it gets bigger. I have it as the centerpiece of a new garden I just put in.

This is not my picture ~ but an example of this kind of birch. http://www.mrjacksfarm.com/dnn/ShadeTrees/Birches/RoyalFrost/tabid/422/Default.aspx