river birch "heritage"

I have checked past discussions and couldn't find the answer to my question. Do any of you have "heritage" river birches planted in soil that can collect standing water in the winter? My research tells me they do fine with moist roots, which should allow for standing water, but I'd love some "real life" experience on this one. I'm particularly fascinated by the multi-trunk varieties, and "heritage" seems to be a fantastic looking speciman with it's highly colorful, peeling bark.

Hey Guy S. , I sent you a D-mail.

Escambia, got the D-mail, thanks. You might want to pose the same question here on the forum.

Bill, river birch naturally grows in wetlands and flood plains. As long as you have acidic soil they should do fine there. FYI, 'Heritage' originated about 40 miles from my house!

Guy S.

I got 3 that should be coming this week from Plant & Gnome that I will grow as a clump. I already acidified my soil with peat and sulfur and will annually amend with sulfur in that area. My soil's ph wasn't too high to start as I was checking it last year for blueberries. I did amend the ba-jesus out of it for the blueberries though. How improved is the Heritage Improved that Beaver Creek grows? Is it just whiter than Heritage?

Bill M

The ones I got from plant & gnome are very nice sized for mail order. They were listed at 5 ft I think. They are about 7 ft average and maybe 3/4"-1" dia. I am very happy with them and will have to post on Garden Web. I forgot who told me about plant & gnome, but thanks. At what age do they start to get their characteristic bark?

Willy, don't have the 'heritage' per se, but I find that both paper and river can vary as to developing whiteness as much as the sugar maples can in color. One of those great mysteries that one spring just pops out at you and you say: "Look...". Isn't it great that Ma Nature still has some suprises for us? Ken

billr....we also have a wet land area and we opted with the Betula nigra 'Summer Cascade'. it's a weeping river birch used as a speciement tree or focal point, particularly with water features. what i loved about this cultivar was the fact it can live in standing water and has unique, pendulous habit with arching branches. if was our understanding after researching and although i LOVE the "peeling" bark look, that they are not best in standing water. approx 15 feet away from the standing water we used Acer griseum Paperbark Maple.....nice peeling bark but not muli colored but it's looking nice because they don't take years and years to start the peeling.

This message was edited Apr 14, 2006 3:59 PM