if they are considering planting one, two, or three birches in their yard.

Здесь всё про берёзу, даже про берёзовые розги написали;)
-Ever hear of the word ‘birching’? When a child was delinquent, a leafless bundle of birch twigs was tied together and the child’s bottom was duly whipped.

http://ccmg.ucdavis.edu/CCTimes/052204.htm
Информация к размышлению.
Что будет расти там, где мы живём:
http://www.ccwater.com/conserve/c-wwplant.asp
An excellent resource for that kind of information is the University of California Cooperative Extension office. Their hotline telephone number is 925-646-6586, Monday thru Friday, 9 am to 12 noon.
И лучше не берёзу выбрать, а что-нибудь из этого списка:
Acacia (Acacia sp.)

Arbutus (Arbutus unedo)

Ash (Fraxinus sp.)

Australian Willow, Wilga (Geijera parviflora)

California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)

California Pepper Tree (Schinus molle)

Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)

Chinese Flame Tree (Koelreuteria bipinnata)

Goldenrain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)

Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis)

Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis)

Chinese Tallow Tree (Sapium sebiferum)

Citrus (Citrus sp.)

Crabapple (Malus sp.)

Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

Deodor Cedar (Cedrus deodara)

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.)

Fruitless Mulberry (Morus alba ‘Fruitless’)

Goldenchain Tree (Laburnum)

Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.)

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Locust (Robinia sp.)

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

Bronze Loquat (eriobotrya deflexa)

Magnolia (Magnolia sp.)

Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba)

Mayten Tree (Maytenus boaria)

Oak (Quercus sp.)

Olive (Olea europaea)

Pear, Flowering (Pyrus calleryana)

Pine (Pinus sp.)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Silk Oak (Grevillea robusta)

Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin)

Sumac, African (Rhus lancea)

Sweet Bay, Grecian Laurel (Laurus nobilis)

Sweet Gum, (Liquidambar sp.)

Variegated Box Elder (Acer negundo ‘Variegatum’)