Silver Birch (Betula pendula,) also known as East Asian White Birch, Warty Birch, or European White Birch is native to Europe and part of Asia.
They’re popular for their white peeling bark and are deciduous trees, meaning, these trees shed their leaves annually, more specifically, in autumn.
Silver Birches are long, slender trees that have a height of 15-25 meters by the time they’re fully grown, and their shape mostly remains regular, with a few exceptions which grow irregular and broader.
Now, let us learn about the root system of the Silver Birch and get to know additional facts regarding this topic.
Silver Birch Root System Explained
As with most fibrous roots, Silver Birch’s roots grow horizontally, are mostly shallow, and are partially invasive. Their roots can extend ten meters. They have robust roots that have the propensity to spread beyond the soil’s surface and grow in tandem with whatever is placed in their path.
The root system of Silver Birches stays almost the same size as that of its canopy but with an affinity towards water, especially the River Birches.
There are mainly two types of root systems: the tap root system and the fibrous Root System.
The tap root system has the kind of root structure which has a primary central root. It branches out and produces more little roots known as “root hairs.”
It typically grows more quickly than the trunk and penetrates quite deeply. The tap root system is present in all dicotyledons, including China rose, carrots, mustard, and other plants.
Again, fibrous system roots are very thin, shallow, and slowly growing; they don’t penetrate very deep; they stay closer to the surface.
Staying close to the surface allows the roots to accumulate nutrients and water in the form of a mat-like structure. Each and every monocotyledon, such as rice, bananas, etc., has a fibrous root system.
Since the Silver Birch trees don’t grow flowers on them, that is, they’re not flowering plants, they’re called monocots. Monocots don’t produce flowers and almost all of them have the Fibrous Root System.
Like most monocots, Silver Birches also have fibrous roots which grow horizontally and stay closer to the surface of the soil in the form of a giant net-like structure known as the ‘root ball.’
That is 3-4 inches thick and extends up to 20-40 feet in their surroundings from their point of origination. Some variants of Silver Birch are:
Weeping Silver Birch:
These are a unique variant of the Silver Birch trees because the branches, instead of remaining upright, droop towards the ground.
Their growth speed and root system depend on the varieties, and some of them are Curly Birch, Cutleaf weeping European Birch, etcetera. Their leaf shapes range from heart-shaped to triangular.
European Silver Birch:
The Silver Birch, although commonly called the White Birch, and sometimes confused with the European Silver Birch, they are different.
The white birches have smoother, downy shoots than the silver ones and have uneven serrated margins on the leaves. European Silver Birch is just another name for the Silver Birch.
Does Silver birch have deep roots?
No, Silver birches don’t have deep roots. They have shallow-root systems which are fibrous in nature.
A fibrous root system has roots that are extremely thin, shallow, and slow-growing; they don’t penetrate deep; they stay near the surface.
The roots create a mat-like structure that aids in the collection of nutrients and water by staying near to the surface. Fibrous roots are found in all monocotyledons, including but not limited to rice, bananas, and other plants.
As Silver birch also have fibrous roots, they tend to create a mat-like structure under the ground which is nearly 4 to 8 thick. They spread, taking the area of almost 20 to 40 feet.
Fibrous roots are water-hungers. As a result, they tend to look for water sources for absorbing minerals and nutrients.
When they find any major water source, their roots start to grow very rapidly and grow twice in size in its initial year of growth and development.
For their rapid growth of roots underground, they often tend to damage underground structures even though their roots don’t penetrate deep into the soil.
Thus, it is very important to choose its location wisely while you are planting a Silver Birch tree near any establishments.
How Deep Are Silver birch Roots?
The roots of Silver Birch aren’t that deep. They usually have shallow roots since they have a fibrous root system.
The Silver Birch tree has fibrous, shallow roots that grow 20–40 feet broad, 4 to 8 inches thick, and spread out in a mat-like pattern for easy water and nutrient absorption.
This indicates that rather than spreading downward and deeply, as a taproot does, they spread as thin, fibrous filaments, forming a matted structure that extends 20 to 40 inches from the tree trunk’s origin.
They create a root ball from the origination point that rarely extends beyond the dripline of the canopy in the initial years but may as it continues to grow. They spread horizontally and maintain their narrow shape despite the trunk getting larger.
Although they spread up to 10 meters and are not considered to be aggressive due to their thin, fibrous roots, they have been known to cause damage to underground structures.
Because of the quick growth of their roots which almost grows double their size in the first year only.
Because of the nature of these plants, their roots need constant monitoring and examination to prevent out-of-control growth.
Do Silver birch spread or multiply?
The Silver Birch has a propensity to spread far beyond its canopy’s dripline. Silver Birches are monocotyledons. They are monocotyledons because they are not flowering plants and like most monocots, they have a fibrous root system.
Fibrous roots are opposite to the taproots. While the tap root system has a main central root that remains the largest for the plant’s lifetime, and goes very deep into the soil, fibrous roots remain shallow, in the form of a thick mat, and spread horizontally, with thin roots.
Silver Birches have fibrous roots and since they cannot go deep enough for support and nutrients, they spread extensively and remain closer to the surface of the soil so they can easily attain water and nutrients from the surface.
In their first year of life, their root ball becomes 3-4 inches thick and spreads 20-40 feet outward.
Are Silver birch Roots Invasive?
No, the Silver Birches aren’t particularly invasive but like any other plants, if not taken care of regularly, they will invade any crack with the aim of attaining water. Silver Birches have a fibrous root system, which means their roots tend to be thin.
They form a root ball and hold the tree to the surface. They don’t necessarily extend more than the dripline of the canopy, but if they find sources of water, they will.
They are said to extend almost twice the size of their initial root-ball in the first year of their lifetime, growing into a mat structure of almost 3-4 inches thick and spread 20-40 feet, by the time they’re fully grown.
It is to be noted that the root size of Silver Birches depends on their canopy that is the size of their branches. As a result, the bigger the tree, the broader the root system will be.
So, to avoid any invasion of property, the canopy should be trimmed regularly, which will then control the outward growth of the roots.
But, it has to be understood that like every other plant, Silver Birches will also extend towards places with an abundance of water.
Can Silver birch tree roots damage foundation or pipes?
No, Silver Birch roots are not that much notorious for damaging pipes since their roots are somewhat controllable and predictable. However, it might damage small foundations like patios, lawns and other establishments.
Every tree needs a specific area to grow and keep itself alive, and if there’s any obstacle in its way, they’re likely to either shift that obstacle or grow along with it.
Similarly, Silver Birches, despite having thin, fibrous roots, can cause damage to foundations if they are not installed strategically. Silver Birches are appropriate plants for a small garden since even in their peak size, they are medium-sized plants.
They won’t damage or shift any foundation or pipe around if they are planted at least 10 feet away from any structure.
That being said, these trees seek water a lot, and they’ll grow anywhere as long as they find a minor crack and invade pipes–their thin roots only help their case.
Final Thoughts
The roots of Silver Birch are partially invasive but not aggressive. While its movement is predictable and often doesn’t cause significant harm to any foundation due to its shallow roots, if care is not given and they are not placed strategically, they may cause some subsurface structural damage.