Betula utilis ssp. jacquemontii ‘Grayswood Ghost’ provides winter interest in the birch collection.
One of 60 species the Himalayan birch, Betula utilis, is a native of China and the Himalaya, while ssp. jacquemontii, is limited to the Himalaya, and is admired for it’s brilliant white bark. This selection, ‘Grayswood Ghost’, is aptly named for its ghostly white bark, which creates a striking feature during the winter months. As with many of the birches the bark peels, and in this case reveals soft peach tones. In spring it produces large, glossy leaves and yellow-brown catkins, and during autumn the leaves take on golden hues. Discovered at Grayswood Hill, Haslemere, Surrey in 1956, ‘Grayswood Ghost’ makes a splendid specimen tree up to 12m in height, and will tolerate most conditions and soil types.