Anyone knowledgeable about birch trees?

[SBAM]

I have this tree which I found growing in my garden (I believe the local squirrel is to blame) so I potted it as I believe it’s a birch of some sort and I would quite like one in my garden.
Can anyone confirm it is a birch?
I guess it’s maybe around 30cm high - how long will it take to actually become a decent size. Should I leave it in the pot or try planting in the border?

Hi OP

No helpful advice I'm afraid but we had a similar situation last year, I had a plant identifying app that told me what it was (silver birch). We kept in in the pot until spring this year and have planted it in the corner of our back garden now. It seems to be happy enough! If you look on the app store for a plant identifying app there may be one with a free trial for you to find out what it is? Or more helpful people may be along soon!!
Ours was the size of yours last year and it is now about double the size. So about 60cm.

I'll have a European birch and the leaves look like that. It's a gorgeous tree, I love it. The emerging leaves in spring are white and upward pointing so it looks like a magnolia, and then gradually darken over the summer. Goes straight to grey brown in the autumn though!

Yes it is a birch. It could be either a silver birch or a downy birch, or even a hybrid between the two. If the stems are furry then it's a downy birch. They grow fine in containers, and you can prune them to keep them small if you want. Early autumn is the best time - around now in fact. Don't prune in spring as they can bleed to death.

I have a birch like that which was almost certainly also a squirrel gift. It was in a pot for a couple of years and then planted and is now a lovely specimen 10 ft tall. Mine is now starting to silver on the trunk which is pretty. If you do decide to plant it keep it at some distance from the house as they can grow quite tall.

I have the same thing with a Rowan tree. It's not very big at the moment and it's not where is I'd want it so I think I'll dig it up when the leaves fall off and move it.

Birch are lovely, enjoy OP!

You’re wrongly accusing the squirrel. Birch has catkins of tiny membranous seeds which are spread by wind. A squirrel wouldn’t be remotely interested, let alone in carrying the seed and burying it - it’d be like us carefully storing a single lentil.

@londonmummy1966

I have a birch like that which was almost certainly also a squirrel gift. It was in a pot for a couple of years and then planted and is now a lovely specimen 10 ft tall. Mine is now starting to silver on the trunk which is pretty. If you do decide to plant it keep it at some distance from the house as they can grow quite tall.

Tall and a lot of roots. We have a silver birch at the bottom of the garden which we've had to have topped and which I think outcompeted the rhododendron near it which died last year. It's a lovely tree but tbh I rather wish it was something smaller - we have a crab apple and sorbus which work better IMO.

So I'd be a bit wary of a sapling of unknown provenance - long term it could be a false economy if it gets too large versus buying a cultivar with known characteristics.