Description:

Height: 15-20m, taller further east in the range (var. prattii from W. China up to 30m). Trees over 15m are rare in the Himalaya, except in dense, drawn up stands.

Diameter: 0.3-0.5m, rarely up to 1.2m.

Buds: Spreading, 8mm, brown base, green tip.

Leaves: Upper surface hard and often shiny dark green, lower surface paler; 5-9 cm x 3-7 cm ovate-acuminate, rounded at base, 9-13 pairs of impressed veins; often slightly lobulate; fine, sharp slightly hooked double toothing, pubescent or woolly on veins and in axils beneath. Petiole 2 cm, stout, grooved, pubescent, dark red or yellow.

Bark: Peeling in horizontal, papery flakes, curiously variable in colour, but including some of the whitest bark of any tree in certain forms of the western var. jacquemontii, although this too varies to ochre-cream, ochre-brown or light pinkish brown. Normally reddish barked in the Himalaya, more westerly populations grading towards var. jacquemontii, some with greyish patches. To the east, some from China have smooth shiny deep browns and greys in a large scaly pattern, and in var. prattii from western China, bright red-pink banded by large white lenticels. Trees from seeds of B. utilis grown in the UK often have

Twigs:

Flowers/Cones: The catkins open in May, lengthening to 3.5 cm × 8 mm and ripening by September. Scales ciliate on the margins, three-lobed with the middle lobe considerably longer and round at the end.

Habitat: Occurs to the tree line at 4300m in the Himalayas, and lower to 3000m in mixed forests where they are generally the largest deciduous trees. In India, very often with Abies spectabilis, Larix griffithiana, Rhododendron campanulatum and Prunus padus. In China, commonly with Picea brachytyla and Abies delavayi var. fabri.

Range: All along the Himalaya from Kashmir to Sikkim, and east into western and perhaps central China (where it is replaced by B. albo-sinensis). The species occurs as var. jacquemontii in the west, with a transition just west of Nepal, in Kumaon. To the east and north, the species grades into the taller var. prattii in China.

Introduced to the UK in 1849 by Sir Joseph Hooker, from the reddish-barked Himalayan population. The white-barked var. jacquemontii was introduced in 1880. Introductions from China were made by Wilson and Forrest. Some forms have proved to be frost tender, presumably starting too early into growth before late frosts, as the trees must be very hardy in the Himalaya. Now widely planted as an ornamental, especially var. jacquemontii.

Information:

Source: Seed from Northern Horticultural Society Seed list, before it got taken over by the RHS (RIP). We also have some specimens of var. jacquemontii, source undocumented (yet).

Purchased:

Planted: One bought specimen of var. jacquemontii planted in SE corner of Manor House garden 1999.04.24. Two from seed planted at north end of Birch shelter belt 1999.04.26. A further recently bought specimen of var. jacquemontii planted in spring 2003, just south of the two from seed. This specimen is a bit tall and thin.

Progress: Substantial

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