Himalayan Birch Wakehurst Place Chocolate A rare and beautiful form of the West Himalayan birch, Betula utilis Wakehurst Place Chocolate was bred at Wakehurst Place in Sussex, a botanical garden managed by Kew. Wakehurst Place Chocolate is a vigorous, medium-sized, deciduous tree with a slender habit, named for its gorgeous, dark chocolate-brown, peeling bark. Bark colour develops fully after 2-4 years. Mid-green, triangular leaves contrast particularly well with the bark. Lovely planted as a multi-stemmed tree, when growth will be less vigorous. Also good planted to contrast with white-stemmed birches of similar habit, or with the sun behind it. Site: Tolerates exposureSoil: Any reasonably well-drained soilPosition: Full sun or partial shadeSeason of Interest: Spring, summer, autumn, winterHardiness: Fully hardyHeight: 50ft (15m) Spread: 32ft (10m)