Betula pendula (Silver Birch)

These have been particularly beautifully grown as multi-stemmed specimens on the nursery. Grows to 40ft after 40 years.

It's happy in any reasonably well-drained soil. Allow enough space for its shape to be seen.

The best time to prune birch trees is late summer or early autumn. It's usually only needed to remove dead, diseased and injured branches. When you prune at the correct time, you not only avoid sap flows, but you also avoid the egg laying season for most insects that infest pruning wounds. Birch tree borers are tree killers, and you should reduce the risk of attack by cutting after their early summer flying season whenever possible.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.