Sunset Delight

It was a busy day today and I didn’t go out into the garden searching for a photo to share until about 4:00 this afternoon. At our latitude, that’s only about half hour before the official sunset, so the sunlight is coming in quite horizontally.  No worries. This is the time of day to see the Betula nigra Heritage ‘Cully” that I planted along the western pond edge. I originally planted only two, but after seeing this salmon pink bark highlighted in the winter, I planted two more a couple of years later! I first saw a stand of these trees in a city park on a slough and was enchanted with the shaggy appearance. Since several neighborhood birches have succumbed to birch borer, it’s good to know that this tree is very disease and pest resistant, too.
 
Though the tree is often sold with the cultivar name “Heritage,” the correct cultivar name is “Cully” for Earl Cully who selected this tree due to its stupendous bark.  So you might find this as Betula niger Heritage 'Cully' or some variation.