Bethlehem Wood

Bethlehem Wood is virtually exclusively devoted to its National Collection of birches.

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Bethlehem Wood

There are over 340 birches growing in Bethlehem Wood, the most comprehensive collection possible in local growing conditions.

More than three-quarters of Wakehurst's birches have been raised from seed harvested in the wild in various parts of the world. When harvested, detailed notes of their growing conditions are made and these records, together with the living specimens in Bethlehem Wood, are used to study the distribution and relationships between species.

There are over 50 species of birch trees and shrubs native to their northern temperate and Arctic regions. Just three are British natives; the silver birch, the downy birch and the dwarf birch all of which are grown here.

Birches are economically important, their wood being used from turnery and furniture to flooring and plywood. Extracts are used in insecticides, snakebite remedies and wintergreen, and native peoples in North America traditionally used the bark from the paper birch to make paper, baskets and canoes. They are important as 'pioneer' species, too, being among the first trees to colonise areas where vegetation is cleared. This is because they are very hardy and able to tolerate inhospitable soils, are easily pollinated by the wind and distribute their seed efficiently.

As a final attraction in addition to its birches, Bethlehem Wood has a magical carpet of primroses and lady's smock in early spring and later, around May, bursts into a sweeping show of bluebells.

Bethlehem Wood: The Birch Trail

The Birch Trail is a mown grass path that takes visitors to numbered specimens.

It is obvious that birches are beautiful, with bark colours ranging from creamy-white, apricot and cinnamon to dark cherry-red and even chocolate. With their colour always on view, from bark to autumn foliage, birches are very popular choices for small gardens.

It is seen that the whiteness comes from the betulin wax birches produce: the more the betulin, the lighter the colour. It's interesting to learn, too, that the colour of birch bark and the way it peels are striking family characteristics, which should help identification. However, they can be influenced by the tree's environment, especially by differences in the soil, so it is not always possible to identify a birch species reliably by bark alone. For example, there are two Himalayan birches next to each other on the Birch Trail, of the same species, but with very different bark.

Also on the Birch Trail is America's rarest tree. The Virginia round-leaf birch (Betula uber), was once thought to be extinct, but a stand of just fifteen was found a few years ago. Cultivating these trees at Wakehurst from seeds from those survivors helps ensure the continuation of the species.