Betula pendula or the silver Birch is a truly beautiful deciduous tree, with silvery white trunk etched with black scars.
It has fine, arching branches with pendulous, silvery-green foliage made up of diamond-shaped leaves which turn golden in autumn before falling.
Its fruit are catkins and it has a benign root system that make it ideal for lawns.
It also makes a splendid and large windbreak.
They prefer cooler climates, which encourage the most spectacular displays in autumn.
Not suitable for warm and humid conditions similar to Sydney's climate.
Cultivars include: 'Youngii' - This cultivar has no main leader and is grafted onto rootstock to form a weeping pendulous habit. The leaves are smaller than the parent plant.