Dad and I have a property in Mississippi (Pike County, by McComb), and I would like to bring small paper birches from Alaska to plant there. Would they live?:rolleyes:

How to Grow and Maintain a Healthy Birch Tree (http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/howtos/ht_birch/ht_birch.htm)

According to this site paper birch would not do as well as say River Birch in your area.

I have both White European Birch and River Birch in my yard. I am in Ohio. Both species do quite well in my yard as I have moist soil having the water table near the surface. When it rains my yard has nice big puddles in the grass. When I first planted my White European Birch clump of 7 trees, I watered them every day. When it was a drought condition in the summer heat I watered them all day. I have a big cement ring around them and the water pooled and made a nice bird bath for the robins. That clump is 7 years old and about 35'+ tall. The river birch I planted 3 years ago are growing like weeds. The one I planted this past May almost doubled in size. It's on that rainwater pool area in my yard and should get quite tall.

Once the trees are established you don't have to water them as much like when they are young. Having shallow roots means you just need to be more diligent in keeping them watered. As long as it's in a moist condition I'm thinking they should survive if given attention when they are young. The part about bringing them from Alaska has me worried. Be sure that they are properly potted in a pot with soil and not just in a burlap bag wapped sort of an arrangement or they possibly won't make it. The best way is to put in a pot and let it grow for a few months prior to transporting to Miss.

Just so you know... ( I am currently becoming a forest technologist) paper birch and white birch are one and the same.. and you can acquire white birch from anywhere in canada... depending on where you are located in the states one of the provences in the maritimes or around there would yield you a better genetic quality white birch.. due to growing conditions in Alaska you might have a problem with them adapting to the soil type and composition in your area.