Betula pendula 'Purpurea' Tree

Betula pendula 'Purpurea', more commonly known as Purple Birch, has dark purple foliage that contrasts beautifully with the silvery white bark that develops with age. Young branches and serrated foliage emerge dark purple/red in spring. The leaves slowly turn purple/dark green throughout the summer and finally bronze/purple tones appear in autumn. Catkins arrive in the spring.

Slightly slower growing and less weeping in habit compared to other Silver Birch trees, Betula pendula 'Purpurea' has a pyramidal form and will still reach a height and spread of 6 x 4 metres in 20 years. An ideal feature tree, this Purple Birch can be grown on most soils but it’s best to avoid very chalky soil.

AKA Purple leaved silver birch, Purple leaf birch, Betula pendula Purpurea

• Common name: Purple Birch
• Height and spread in 20 years: 6 x 4 metres
• Seasons of interest: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
• Foliage: Dark purple in spring, purple/green in summer, bronze/purple in autumn
• Catkins: In spring
• Soil: Suited to all types except very chalky soils

Planting Advice for Betula pendula Purpurea Trees

Our pot grown Weeping Purple Birch trees can be planted at any time of the year. Start by removing weeds and grass within a metre of your desired planting hole. Dig a square hole as deep as your root mass and approximately 2x as wide. To help the tree establish more effectively, sprinkle root grow in the hole.

Remove the pot, gently loosen the roots and place into the planting hole. Mix 50% of the original soil with 50% compost, fill in the hole and firm around gently. Avoid banking the soil up around the collar of the tree.

We recommend planting Purple Birch trees (except multi-stem forms) with a stake and tie kit. For our medium size staking kits, insert the stake into the ground at an angle to avoid penetrating the rootmass. Finish by watering generously around the base.

Aftercare Advice for Purple Birch trees

Purple Birch require a good watering regime for a couple of years to establish. Water well and regularly through spring and summer, increasing in hot or dry weather. If planting in autumn, you may only need to water a little. Unlike many species, Birch prefer wet soil than dry. Irrigation kits make it easier.

Once planted, keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first couple of growing seasons. If your area is prone to rabbits, use a rabbit guard. To clean the white bark, you can wash it using a garden hose or slightly soapy water.

Pruning Advice for Betula pendula Purpurea Trees

Established Weeping Purple Birch trees do not require pruning and they do not take well to hard pruning. Hard pruning increases light penetration which in turn results in increased soil temperature and decreased moisture levels. Simply remove the lateral shoots to maintain a clear trunk and prune any diseased or damaged branches. Pruning should be carried out in late summer to mid-winter. Purple Birch trees bleed heavily at all other times of the year, especially late winter.

Delivery Costs

1 small tree (most under 1.5 metres in height) : £9.95 + vat

1 medium tree (most 1.5-2 metres in height) or 2-4 small trees: £11.95 + vat

2+ medium trees or 5+ small trees: £14.95 + vat

1-4 trees delivered by pallet to kerbside (inc. mature Japanese Maples): 24.95 + vat

Mature trees, pleached trees or orders too large for pallet: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode not quantity. Starts from £48 + vat.

The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process. Please note, we are unable to deliver outside of Mainland UK.

Delivery Timescales

All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team and most are delivered within 3 weeks of placing the order, unless stated otherwise. There's no need to be in to receive your order and you can request where it is left via the checkout.

For pleached and mature trees (trees over 2.5m in height), we group orders together by geographic area for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers about the delivery date.

Trees on pre-order are still growing and an estimate of when they will be ready is on the product/basket page. Orders are despatched once all trees are ready.

Gift trees and those required by a specific date can be accommodated with pleasure, although we accept no legal responsibility for late deliveries.

To collect trees, please book an appointment. Delivery charges will be refunded.

The product table at the bottom of the page gives the forms and sizes available for this variety. Please note, photos are a guideline as all plants are unique. *Pot sizes may vary. Below are definitions of terms:

Supplied Size: Height measured from the top of the pot.

Single Stem / Pruned and shaped: Classic shaped tree with a single stem that has had pruning to help create a beautiful, natural shape.

Top grafted: A height noted next to this form refers to the length of clear stem, which will not grow taller. Only the head of branches will develop. Top grafted trees do not require complicated pruning and are ideal for small spaces.

Feathered: A feathered tree has branches from the bottom of the trunk all the way up. These branches can be removed if a clear stem is required.

Multi Stem: A multi stem tree has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system.

Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.

Clump: Several plants in one pot that can give the appearance of a multi stemmed and very bushy tree.

Climber: A plant that is a natural climber and will be delivered usually running up a bamboo cane, ready to position in the garden.

Standard Tree: A more mature tree with an upright clear stem of approximately 1.8m-2.0m (measured from the soil to the lowest branches of the crown). Standards are available in different forms relating to their girth size (circumference of the stem measured 1m above soil level), not height:

Standard  either 6-10cm or 8-10cm girth, approximately 2.5-3.0m in height
Premium Standard  10-12cm girth, approximately 3.0-3.5m in height
Heavy Standard  12-14cm girth, approximately 3.5-4.5m in height
Extra Heavy Standard 14-16cm girth approximately 4.0-6m in height