Resistant to bronze birch borer and leaf miner. Drought and salt tolerance are debated, as are branch strength and deer resistance.
Pyramidal in youth, rounded with age. Pruning cuts bleed except in summer; poor compartmentalizer of decay. Casts light shade. Fall color not as showy as other birches.
'Cully' (Heritage) is more vigorous than the species, more disease resistant, and the cultivar I see mentioned most, often to the exclusion of the species. It and 'Little King' (Fox Valley), a dense dwarf cultivar, are both PHS Gold Medal Award winners; note that 'Little King' has been observed to be much less dwarfed outside its original Chicago area. 'Whit XXV' (City Slicker) is the most drought tolerant. 'BNMTF' (Dura-Heat) is also quite heat-resistant, with a finer texture and less prone to early defoliation. 'Dickinson' (Northern Tribute) is well adapted to cold (USDA zone 3), drought, and alkaline soils. 'Shiloh Splash' is a variegated dwarf with white leaf margins, but reversion shoots are common. 'Studetec' (Tecumseh Compact) is a spreading semi-dwarf.
Sources: White Oak, Sunset, NCSU, Dove/Woolridge, UFL, JerseyYards.org, UConn, Dirr & Warren, Cal Poly.
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