paper birch

can i take cuttings of a paper or a silver birch?

 

Take semi ripe (softwood cuttings) in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn. Follow your usual methods or just cut a small bundle of pencil thin branches, lop to 12", trim square top, 45�° chamfer bottom with a razor sharp knife and heel in a sheltered spot in autumn with the top two buds showing. Overwinter and leave at least untill the following summer before disturbing them. They should root no problem. This will work with hazel, beech, hawthorn, oak and most other hardy trees.

Like a lot of plants though, some are grafted onto different rootstock (weeping pussywillow or ornamental acers in particular) so your new tree may not have the same growth character as the original parent/rootstock combination. Self rooted trees without a graft shouldn't be a problem and it will also guarantee the sex of the tree (especially holly that only bears fruit on female trees)