Western Red BirchBetula occidentalisHeight: 35' average mature height Zones: 6-8 Find my zone Aspect: mostly shade to full sun Watering: needs frequent summer irrigation or usually moist soil Maximum Water: tolerates constantly wet soil and bogs Habit: clump forming with multiple stems Foliage: deciduous Growth Rate: fast Native To: WA, OR, CA, NV, NM, UT, AZ, WY, CO, ID, MT, ND, SD
Size Availability
Western Red Birch forms dense stands with copper-red colored trunks along streams or wetlands with attractive foliage. It grows in clay and wet soils well and is able to break up clay hardpans with its fine roots that can push into dense soil, but they need consistent moisture throughout the year. Red Birch is a host plant for nearly 200 butterfly and moth species across its range and the fall-ripening seeds are popular with birds. The plants are also long-lived, with the roots forming a large crown that continually puts up new stems following top-killing fires or avalanches which is in contract to most Birch species that tend to only live for 20-30 years. Their ability to resprout from the crown even in old age makes this an excellent species for coppicing.
Out of season.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation Red Birch is resistant to the Bronze Birch Borer which causes issues with other Birch species. It is also well adapted to ultramafic soils and populations can be found thriving even where the soil has toxic levels of heavy metals such as nickel and chrome.
The clump-style growth pattern of Red Birch also makes it a great bonsai plant, the root crown will typically grow very wide starting at a young age which gives plants a great root flare and trunk taper. It also has smaller leaves than most other Birches.
Northern vs Southern Populations
Red Birch is most commonly found growing in the far north and becomes less common moving south, but can still be found in isolated populations throughout Oregon and California.
The northern populations
are very cold hardy and tend to form smaller shrubs, 10-20 feet tall and don't do as well with intense summer heat. The northern ecotype is suited for USDA zones 2-7.
The southern populations
are well adapted to heat and tend to grow significantly taller, typically 20-30 feet with old individuals reaching 60 feet tall. The southern ecotype is suited for USDA zones 6-8.
Betula occidentalis - Western Red Birch trunks on a mature tree
Betula occidentalis - Western Red Birch
Betula occidentalis - Western Red Birch foliage
Betula occidentalis - Western Red Birch - young canes respsrouting after a top-killing fire
Betula occidentalis - Western Red Birch young stem
Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
Out of season.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
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Red Panda Nursery