Betula Utilis Jacquemontii Doorenbos Birch

Betula Utilis Doorenbos, also called Himalayan Birch Doorenbos or Betula Utilis Jacquemontii Doorenbos, is a lovely mid-sized birch tree which will add beauty to your garden year-round with its distinctive creamy white bark! It has received the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Betula Utilis is native to the Himalayas, and was brought to Europe from Kashmir in the 1830’s. The cultivar Betula Utilis Doorenbos was first grown in the Netherlands in 1933, and has become a very popular landscape tree in the UK since then. In early spring, catkins up to 15 cm long emerge, followed by small, green oval leaves which cast a dappled shade through the summer months before turning yellow in autumn. It is when the leaves fall that Himalayan Birch Doorenbos takes on its starring role with its white bark that peels back to reveal a creamy orange shade beneath, that then turns a bright white in its turn. The brilliant white bark and graceful shape of Betula Utilis Doorenbos combine to make it a very desirable specimen tree with all year-round interest!

Hardy in even the most severe climates, Betula Utilis Doorenbos will grow to 6 metres high by 5 metres wide in 20 years, reaching a mature height of 12 metres and spread of 8 metres in 50 years. It has a naturally slender growth habit.If any pruning is required, it should be done in July and August. If desired, you can gently wash the bark for the purest white shades. Expect it to take a few years after planting for the distinctive white bark to develop.

Plant Betula Utilis Doorenbos in full sun or partial shade in an exposed or sheltered position in any moist but well-drained soil. It is tolerant of salt, and so can be grown in coastal regions, and is very tolerant of pollution, making it ideal for city gardens. As deer do not browse on birch, Himalayan Birch Doorenbos can be planted without special protection on country properties.

Use Betula Utilis Doorenbos as a specimen tree in a small to medium-sized lawn, where it will be a pleasant foliage tree in summer and autumn before becoming a striking focal point in winter, especially with a backdrop of green conifers.

Comparing Himalayan Birch Cultivars - Betula utilis Jacquemontii Doorenbos is a specific cultivar of Himalayan Birch that has creamier bark when it peels and turns ever whiter as time progresses. Its parent - Betula Utilis Jacquemontii also has a white bark but peels white not cream. Doorenbos is not to be confused with Snow Queen, which also has white rather than cream bark. Betula Utilis Jacquemontii Snow Queen is also a specific Jacquemontii cultivar and is noted for the fact that it is capable of producing the white bark even when it very young which Betula Utilis Jacquemontii and Betula Utilis Jacquemontii Doorenbos cannot do.