Any steps to prune birch trees for structure are best done when the tree is young. For example, if the tree has two dominant leaders, that can cause both to be weak and at risk of snapping in storms.

However, they can tolerate drier soil as the tree matures and the roots become well-established. This makes mature river birch trees relatively drought-tolerant which is unique among birch varieties.

Birch planted in Brentwood has not thrived in the 10 years it’s been planted. Birch trees are not native to California and generally don’t do well in our Mediterranean climate.

Brown birch trees in both Southcentral and Interior Alaska this summer aren’t signaling an early fall. Rather, they are subject to an infestation of small, leaf-munching larvae.