Some plants are determined. Something in their genetic make-up decided long ago that nothing would get them down and nothing ever does. Take this river birch (Betula nigra) for instance. I received it from the Arbor Day Foundation but this isn't one of the 10 "free" trees I received with my donation. I actually purchased this one. It was one of several trees I used as the subject of my Arbor Day experiment last fall. Now it's time for an update.
First let me tell you why I picked this tree. Several years ago my brother had his wedding in California at his wife's grandmother's house. She had a spectacular garden with hydrangeas, trumpet vines, and of course birches. 
The two trees she had in her garden provided a very nice shady area next to her patio. In the picture you can see the white bark of the birch she had in her garden. Even though the river birch is different from what she had, I knew I wanted to incorporate such great trees in my landscape.
Betula nigra is a native tree to the U.S. and here in Tennessee which is great for the birds and local wildlife that are used to river birches. River birches are fairly heat tolerant and can survive mild drought conditions.
Birches are probably the most renown tree for interesting bark. Their brown papery bark peels away to reveal new layers of bark underneath. It's a great tree for winter interest. Just imagine planting it next to a couple red twig dogwoods and an evergreen or two! I would take that kind of winter color any day in my garden.
The Results of My Arbor Day Experiment: River Birch
All along I thought this little tree failed. I believed it had passed away to become one with the compost bin, but thankfully I was wrong! I let it go not for any great hope that it would survive but out of laziness. I looked at the base of the tree last week and found a new sprout!
It may not look like much now but since river birches are fast growing trees it should quickly grow into something grand! Soon I'll clip the old stalk away from the sprout and let this little native tree develop into what I hope will be a fantastic tree in my landscape.
I like plants that are determined to survive in my garden. They sure make my gardening a little easier!
Update:
Since this post the deer to another (and possibly fatal) swipe at the little birch. It's now in a pot on the back porch and has been replaced by a dogwood.Labels: Arbor Day, native plants, trees
The two trees she had in her garden provided a very nice shady area next to her patio. In the picture you can see the white bark of the birch she had in her garden. Even though the river birch is different from what she had, I knew I wanted to incorporate such great trees in my landscape.
