Betula identification and cultivation


This Tree Forum Day was led by Ness Botanic Gardens staff and focused primarily on the identification of birches and their allies, with discussion of propagation, cultivation and Betula conservation. The day included a tour of the extensive Betula collection at Ness, studying their uses in a variety of garden settings and the cultivation of Betula and different subgenera (Nipponobetula, Aspera, Acuminata and Betula). Attendees were encouraged to bring along samples for identification.

Presentations were:

Overview of the worldwide Birch flora and introduction to identification of birches  – Tim Baxter, Ness Botanic Gardens

Red Data Lists and practical conservation projects for Betulaceae in Japan and Georgia – Yvette Harvey-Brown, Conservation Assistant at BGCI

Birch pest and diseases – Simon Toomer, National Trust Plant Conservation and Plant Health Specialist

Betula megrelica and the birches of Georgia – Paul Bartlett, Stone Lane Gardens

Resources for the day included the following: