Betula Pubescens Downy Birch are outdoor garden shrubs or medium sized trees which can also be grown as garden hedging. These trees have attractive, grey-white bark and slender branches upon which delicate, glossy green leaves grow. Leaves grow on downy stems which is where this shrub gets its name. In autumn, foliage turns to rustic yellow before dying off over winter and returning again in spring. In spring, foliage is accompanied by yellow green, drooping catkins, sometimes making way for small, cone-like fruits which are not edible. Although these trees can reach an ultimate height of around 30 metres, they can be pruned to remain smaller when used as hedging, where they will grow in an elegant, rounded habit. This shrub will tolerate many soil types and can even be found growing in very damp soils. It will grow best in full sun or partial shade, pruning in the dormant season each year to maintain the shape and avoid pruning in spring and during the growing season.
