The Betula uti Snow Queen Tree, also known by its cultivar name ‘Doorenbos’, is one of the most admired Himalayan birch varieties, valued for its ornamental qualities and year-round appeal. First selected around 1933 by Dutch dendrologist Albert Doorenbos, this tree has since become a favourite across Europe and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s prestigious Award of Garden Merit for its outstanding garden performance.
One of the Snow Queen’s most notable features is its dazzling white bark. Unlike many other birch varieties, the bark of Snow Queen begins to peel and reveal its striking brilliance within just three years of planting. As the layers peel, flashes of warm orange beneath are exposed, creating depth and texture. The effect is particularly eye-catching during winter, when the bark glows against low light and bare landscapes, ensuring beauty even in the quietest season.
In spring, the Snow Queen adds fresh growth with ovate green leaves and yellowish-brown catkins. The leaves create a delicate canopy, offering light shade while retaining an airy feel that does not overwhelm smaller gardens. Through summer, its clean structure and bright bark provide a striking vertical element. As autumn arrives, the foliage turns golden yellow, extending the tree’s seasonal impact and complementing the persistent white bark beneath.
The Betula uti Snow Queen Tree is highly versatile in garden design. Its upright form allows it to be planted as a single specimen tree, where its bark can be fully appreciated, or in groups to create dramatic architectural effects. Multi-stemmed forms are especially striking, with their glowing trunks creating sculptural beauty both in leaf and bare.
Adaptable and resilient, this birch thrives in most soil types, including damp ground, provided it is not excessively waterlogged. It grows best in full sun, where the bark develops its brightest white colour, though it can tolerate partial shade. While generally undemanding, it does not perform as strongly on very shallow chalky soils. Once established, it requires minimal maintenance, making it a dependable tree for both novice and experienced gardeners.
Reaching around 6 metres in height with a 4-metre spread after ten years, the Betula uti Snow Queen Tree is a medium-sized option suitable for both large and small gardens. Its combination of rapid bark development, golden autumn colour, and RHS-recognised performance ensures it remains one of the finest ornamental trees available.
The Betula uti Snow Queen Tree is a medium-sized deciduous birch with a mature size of approximately 6 metres in height and 4 metres in spread after ten years. Its upright growth habit and elegant form make it suitable for a wide range of garden settings.
One of its most distinctive features is its brilliant white bark, which begins to peel and reveal its colour within three years of planting. This provides winter interest and year-round beauty, contrasting attractively with garden greenery.
In spring, the tree produces fresh ovate green leaves alongside yellowish-brown catkins, followed by a glowing golden-yellow display in autumn. Its airy canopy provides light shade without dominating smaller spaces. Hardy, reliable, and award-winning, it is ideal as a specimen tree, in group plantings, or in multi-stem form to maximise its ornamental impact.
