I keep in mind falling in love with the dwarf river birch, Betula nigra ‘Little King’, again round 1990 when it was first planted on the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC. This superb compact choice originated within the late Seventies at King Nursery in Oswego, Illinois, and beginning in 1991, was adopted and formally marketed via the Chicagoland Grows plant introduction program.
After 20 years, the unique plant in Illinois was solely 10′ tall, however the 30 12 months previous specimen on the JC Raulston Arboretum has now reached 30′ tall x 30′ broad So, whereas it’s a lot slower rising, it’s not precisely a real dwarf. Most estimates conclude that Betula ‘Little King’ will develop about 1/3 to 1/4 the pace and dimension of the everyday species, making it a significantly better alternative round most smaller houses. That mentioned, we love the compact, dense behavior and have just lately planted this specimen round our residence on the JLBG property. Hardiness is Zone 4-9.
