River Birch

[KathyB]

Has anyone worked with River Birch? They seem to have fairly small leaves, nice bark and good fall color - but are they suitable for bonsai?

Kathy

[Mitch Thomas]

Hi Kathy
I have never tried one, but they should do well. They are a member of the hornbeem family I belive, and that exfoliating bark is way kool! If your going to do one, now is the time to do a heavy chop on one. Try to find one with a good base and surface roots!

Mitch.

[KathyB]

Thanks Mitch
If I find a nice one, I think I'm going to try it. The only thing I could find bad about them is that their life span isn't as long as some others - but as long as I don't kill it, it will probably outlive me. They also seem to like being wet like cypress. I'm thinking probably a mix of bonsai soil and miracle grow potting mix.

Kathy

[Zach Smith]

River birch is not a desirable species for bonsai, as it tends to drop entire branches and even trunks (for multi-trunk specimens). They were a landscape fad in the 80s until folks figured out the propensity to die back. Then that business pretty much dried up.

Zach

[KathyB]

Zach,

Another GNOBS member told me the same thing. Also, there are some planted around my workplace and I've since noticed how often they break even in just a regular thunderstorm.

Kathy