where the heck am i going to put my river birch?

13 years ago

I love river birches. I never knew the root systems were so evil!! I picked a river birch up on clearance at Lowes for 6.00 the other day b/c i could NOT refuse.

Now, after several google searches, i am hearing that i can't grow anything w/in 40 feet (or the dripe lines worth) possibly even more of the river birch!!

I have also heard that it will buckle a driveway or foundation.

There are several used as lawn trees around here, and while I knew moisture would be a problem when siting this tree, i never took into account the roots.

I think I can find a place in the back yard, but my butterfly garden will be w/in 40ft of the tree-will no flowers grow w/in the root zone of a birch?? really???

I see pictures and real life situations of this tree growing super close to the house--which was my first place for it.

Its also possible the tree won't live to see 40 feetb/c they rarely live to maturity in landscape situations.

Is this tree really only suited to grow out on its own,and not near anythying?? How could I apreciate its beauty if it was stuck over on the edge of my property?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
13 years ago
I grow a lot of plants beneath my two birches.
Echinacea, black eyed susans (daisies), Rudbeckia fulgida,
various types of Sage (Meadow, May Night), Foxgloves (Digitalis),
various ferns (Western Sword, Drypoteris), cyclamen, and more.
I use soaker hoses most of the time, with occasional deep waterings.

Josh
gardningrandma
13 years ago
I find it hard to even grow grass beneath relatively young ones.

I see river birches in many landscape situations planted less than 10 feet away from structures. I'm not recommending that you do this but like like most things in residential landscapes nowadays, it's more for instant gratification and curb appeal. Long term damage and removal many years down the line is overlooked.

Knowing that for the cost of two ice cream cones, you could be creating a huge problem for a future homeowner simply because it was an irresistable deal. On the other hand, it will look nice in the garden and if you keep your eye on it and remove it when it starts to get too big then maybe you'll be satisfied.

Personally I'd take it back to lowes. Get my $6 back, go get a couple of ice cream cones and then hit the nurseries looking for a more suitable tree to plant for the location that will be there for many future homeowners to enjoy rather than a liability.

I look at birches the same way I look at willows. Messy, short lived, problem roots. Keep it a safe distance.
Related Discussions
Is this a River Birch? If so I have questions...
Q
Comments (10)
Looks like forest dug culls to me. And planted with the burlap still wrapped tight around the stems. I'd call them and ask to see the nursery certification tags on those trees. Passing forest confiscated plants off as nursery grown stock is not uncommon, especially with builders. That root ball looks way too small to be a field grown and dug plant. EVERY legit nursery is certified and each delivery is made with all of the appropriate documentation. If your builder has lost the documentation, he can contact the nursery for duplicates. Unless he dug those plants out of the woods somewhere. At the VERY least, they should be replanted so that all of the ties and burlap is removed from the top portion of the root ball. Heck, I don't even KNOW what tree it is.....!
...See More
Caterpillars eating my river birch
Q
Comments (5)
Kimmsr, this is an insect that feeds in large communities in one localized area. The removal of one branch may result in getting rid of several hundred larvae in one fell swoop, without the use of any chemicals at all. The removal of one or two branches may result in the preservation of this season's foliage. Why on Earth do anything else? Please note that spraying with Bt should be a last resort practice, just as with any other pesticide. Resistance to Bt has shown up all over the world, largely due to agricultural use of Bt, but homeowners contribute to the problem, as well. There are millions of people in this country alone that foster butterfly and moth habitats, something worth thinking about. The indiscriminate use of Bt-kurstaki products isn't acceptable, especially if there are other measures available. Is Bt-k a valuable and useful product? Absolutely, when used with care. Right place, right reason, right product. In this particular situation, with these particular insects, Bt-k is not a good fit. Moccasinlanding, can I assume that you are talking about River Birch, since you live in the South? They are a pretty little tree, but 'can' be a real insect magnet. Even in a native setting, this is the case. Aphids love River Birch. Landscape planted R. Birch are probably more susceptible to problems as there might be excess fertilization, irrigation, compaction, or other factors that can contribute to a plant's susceptibility. You'll be lucky if you can keep the population at bay with strong sprays of water or insecticidal soap (you did say it was a young tree, right?). This winter, however, after the leaves have dropped, you can begin with some applications of dormant or other horticultural oil. Spray all along the branches and trunk, and try to get into the nooks and crannies where those eggs are hidden. I'd spray three or four times, up until the time of bud break. You'll go a long way in breaking the aphid cycle. Have you seen any scale insects on this plant? ;-) You might as well take a good look!
...See More
can Manhattan euonymus espalier be this close to weeping river birch?
Q
Comments (13)
i dont know why you started a new post ... note that all the names here.. are the same as there ... here is a link to the prior post ... for those interested ... no big deal .... http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/4494870/manhattan-euonymus-espalier-advice?n=8 anyway .... your novice-ness is showing thru ... your fixating on variables that you have no ability to deal with ... a birch tree... should be planted out on about a half acre with nothing else around ... so what ... its irrelevant.. since your yard doesnt look like a half acre .. lol .. yes.. it has aggressive surface roots... so what ... just learn how to read soil moisture.. and lake sure you maintain proper water ... no one can tell you how.. since we will never be in your garden ... as to your espalier ... whatever.. plant it.. prune it.. and have fun with it ... you being a bit retentive on worrying about it ... just do .. thats how most of us learned.. win or lose .. btw.. you learn more with every plant you kill .. in fact.. many people say you arent a true green thumb.. until you have killed every plant.. 3 times ... just do it .. i would install a separate trellis simply because i would not want a wood fence to stay dampish with the plant on it ... new or old fence ... so a trellis avoids your fence replacement worry ... you know.. grapes.. which is a vine.. are grown on wires... wonder it you can do that here ... for this summer.. i might try some morning glory or something ... just by tying a string up high.. and train the swirling vine on it ... i see you replied while i was typing ... wood is wood.. none of it last forever ... but understand that this year temporary trellis .... can be redone next year .... in tree time... there really is no final decision made this season.. other than getting it in the ground ... planting guide below ken https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub
...See More
Dura Heat River Birch - new purchase, should I separate stems?
Q
Comments (8)
They usually are three separate trees...the typical way of doing this is to stick three saplings in the same pot. This looks awesome when the tree is young. No idea what it does in the long run, but probably doesn't maximize the trees life expectancy. I've seen old single specimens of River Birch...they look fine. They might look kind of sad and lonely when the tree is small. If you ARE going to separate them, I'd do it now. Not the ideal time of year, but the alternative is planting them now, digging them up later, and traumatizing them twice. You may want to pull apart circling roots anyway on a clearance tree. If they are potted them out of the pot and them in a bucket of water briefly to soften the roots and make it easier to pull them apart. Then I dump the bucket of water th the planting hole(s?) and wait for it to drain. Maybe partially shade them with a tarp when the real heat hit?
...See More
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
listen to me...

for your massive $6 investment.. i will yell

PLANT IT WHEREEVER IT MAKES YOU HAPPY ....

and then.. one day before you have to pay to have it cut down... cut it down yourself ...

i figure.. if you get 5 years of happy pleasure out of it.. FOR SIX DOLLARS!!!!!! .... your cost benefit ratio is extremely favorable ....

and in 5 years.. it might be 15 feet tall .... which you should be able to handle with a hand saw ... [given a few years to get established and really growing]

seriously ... 5 years of pleasure... or 5 minutes with an ice cream cone.. your choice ...

ken
gardningrandma
13 years ago
Ah but you also have to look at the opportunity cost of planting the birch.

It's not just the $6, it's the lost time that a hornbeam or paperbark maple could have been growing.

5 years from now, you can have an established slower growing, longer lived, site-appropriate tree or you could have an empty space from the $6 river birch you just removed.

Of course it won't really be an empty space. It will be a web of tangled roots.
dkgarber
Original Author
13 years ago
Ken, I love your thinking!!! haha..

I guess I'll take all things into account, and instead of improperly siting a particular pesty tree by the front door in a very visible spot, I'll still take a chance on it....but put it in the backyard.
If it starts to ruin my other plantings, I 'll cut it down (although I doubt Illl have the heart to do so).

I have nothing to lose back there really---and if it gets huge enough to shade my deck, i might actually happily sacrifice the butterfly garden b/c we don't use our deck all summer.

Thanks everyone!

where the heck am i going to put my river birch?

Comments (5)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

gardningrandma

Related Discussions

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardningrandma

dkgarber
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

where the heck am i going to put my river birch?

Comments (5)

greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a

gardningrandma

Related Discussions

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardningrandma

dkgarberOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dkgarber
Original Author