Shrubs for Shade: Cesky Gold, the NEW ‘Gold Standard’!
Owning a home can be one of the most enjoyable things you will ever do, and keeping the outside looking beautiful will help maintain its value. Many people come to visit us looking for landscape ideas for entrances that are shaded. Either by large trees or by the angle in which the home was built, the front entrance to the home finds itself in the shade most of the time. There ARE many plants that can perform well in the shade. In a series of articles we’ll share with you some strong SHRUB choices for shadier environments.
Cesky Gold Birch (Photo Credits: Spring Meadow Nursery)
A brief reminder on the difference between “shrubs” and “perennials”. Shrubs, unlike other perennial plants such as tulips or peonies, produce woody growth. That means they produce growth NEXT SEASON on the growth they produced this year. As opposed to the aforementioned tulip and peony which die down to the ground and come up again in the Spring.
If you’re looking for a shrub option that is cold-hardy, look no further than this new introduction! The Cesky Gold Birch. Yes, you heard me right, birch! While many are probably familiar with birch trees such as the Cutleaf Weeping Birch and the often clump form Paper Birch, the Cesky Gold has a much smaller overall habit. Topping out at just around five feet the Cesky Gold has dark cinnamon stems adorned with bright round lemony to chartreuse foliage. Birch all have toothed edges to their leaves making their foliage attractive.
A great substitute for yellow-leafed barberry, Cesky has no thorn to speak of. Its chartreuse foliage develops as a rich orange/red and matures to a deep yellow or pale green. Birch is an air-pollinated Genus and as such has no flowers to speak of.
Cesky Gold Birch (Photo Credits: NetPS Plant Finder)
Cesky Gold was introduced by Michal Andrusiv from the Czech Republic. Perhaps the best thing about Birch is their exceptional cold hardiness. Hardy down to USDA Zone 2 this shrub form of Birch can tolerate temps as low as -50°F. It also benefits from some afternoon shade and doesn’t appreciate warm temperatures. Both of those attributes lend it to be a great candidate for shadier gardens.
If there is one thing that is a drawback for the Birch genus it is drought. These plants absolutely must have access to water. Other semi-water-loving shrubs could be Dogwood. Those might make a good pairing for shadier planting spaces. Pair this and other shrubs with water and shade-loving perennials such as Astilbe, Irises, Ligularia, Lobelia and you could have a stunning shade garden that will make people do a double take!
Cesky Gold Birch (Photo Credits: Missouri Botanical Gardens)
Something that often goes ignored with shrubs is the need for routine maintenance. Annual pruning of shrubs has its benefits when attempting to keep them looking lush and healthy. Woody plants eventually develop bark and stems become hard. The best way to keep this Birch looking its best is with a light sheering in late summer to late fall. Pruning your Cesky back to a uniform round habit will keep it looking tidy and neat for seasons to come. Avoid pruning Birch in late winter and early spring as they have a heavy flow of sap at that time and can be subject to bleeding unnecessarily.