The Silver Birch (Betula Pendula) is a large narrowly conical shaped native deciduous tree with peeling silvery white bark found as with many other types of Birch in vast numbers particularly in the forests and on the mountains of Scotland. The diamond shaped mid green serrated leaves of the Silver Birch turn a particularly attractive yellow in autumn but it is the distinctive colour of the bark and the noticeable drooping habit of its branches that make the Silver Birch tree so easily identifiable.
Silver Birch trees produce yellow/brown catkins in spring which make an additional decoration to this already very pretty tree. Although the Silver Birch looks to be a light and delicate tree it is actually very hardy, and makes a stunning ornamental focal point in any garden and a haven for a host of insects and wildlife. The Silver Birch twigs or young branches were tied together in bundles and used for ‘Birching’ a popular method of punishment which was only stopped in comparatively recent times. The most frequent commercial uses for the timber of Betula Pendula are in the making of tool handles, the backs of brushes and wooden floors. The twigs are used for the making of fire fighting brooms seen in forests and in saunas as a muscle relaxant. The Silver Birch tree grows at approximately30-45cm (1-1.5ft) per year to an ultimate height of approximately 18-25 metres (60-80ft). If you want to trim or prune, then any time from late summer, through autumn and into winter is suitable.
The Silver Birch tree has been given the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. Birch trees on this page are suitable for general planting in any reasonable soil but will thrive in moist conditions. If you have a rabbit problem we strongly recommend protecting newly planted Silver Birch with spiral tree guards. We will supply full cultural instructions with your order. We strongly recommend Rootgrow and Bonemeal to help establish newly planted Silver Birch trees, these may be found on the left hand menu.
Delivery leadtimes update- March/April 2024
We are working at maximum capacity to fulfil all orders as quickly as possible but owing to unprecedented demand some orders will take longer:
– Orders containing only bare root plants – delivery is currently within 5-7 days
– All other orders – delivery is currently within 2-3 weeks
Delivery is free for most orders above our free delivery thresholds, these are displayed above our prices in the product listings and summarized below. If you don’t need that many plants it’s not a problem, you can choose to pay our delivery charge and only order what you need.
Delivery is convenient – no signature is required so you don’t need to wait in, we will leave your parcel in the safe place that you nominate.
Delivery is fast – because we pick orders daily from our own growing beds your plants only travel the small hop to our packing shed before being sent to you, they are usually delivered within 3-7 days.
Delivery is reliable – we have been selling and delivering Hedging Plants to our customers nationwide since 1992. We have a lot of experience in packing them safely and only use tried and tested delivery partners.
Smaller Plants (Parcel Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £90 | £15.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £90 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £24.00 |
Heavy Plants (Pallet Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £420 | £72.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £420 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £72.00 |
Tall Plants 2.5m+ (Specialist Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Under £1800 | Please call us |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £1800 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | Not available |
Exceptions to our delivery charges are Scottish Highland and Isle of Wight delivery areas where we need to charge a little extra to cover the cost of deliveries to these outlying areas. We don’t currently delivery to other offshore addresses including Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
Tall plants over 2.5 metres have to be delivered by our own specialised transport, our delivery area is limited to mainland England and Wales only.
Please note there is a minimum order value of £50 for orders containing smaller plants and £250 for orders containing heavier plants
Complete delivery information can be viewed on our Delivery Information page
