Description
Rootstock: 60-90 cm
Purple Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea') is an imposing deciduous tree known for its deep purple foliage. It's a great choice for both ornamental planting and hedging. Fagus Sylvatica is a cultivated form of the common beech and can grow to an impressive height over the course of 50 years or so, sometimes reaching higher than 40 meters.
The tree's broad, spreading canopy provides year-round visual delight. In spring the leaves emerge a rich purple, before gradually taking on a coppery-red in autumn and remaining on the tree through winter (before they are pushed off by new growth).
The oval, glossy leaves are fringed with fine silky hairs, giving them a unique texture, while the smooth, grey bark is yet another attractive feature. The twigs grow with a zig-zag pattern.
Like other beech trees, Purple Beech is a valuable resource for wildlife: the seeds (beechnuts) are a food source for birds, squirrels, and small mammals, while the tree’s long lifespan also makes it a haven for nesting birds and insects.
Copper beech hedging can be kept to whatever height you deem practical and if properly clipped, it will bush out to form a waterfall of purple leaves from tip to toe. Copper beech needs to be planted in full sun to thrive and so that you gain the full aesthetic impact of the light shining through their burnished leaves.
Site: Avoid exposed or coastal locations
Soil: Fertile, lightly acidic, well-drained
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Season of Interest: Autumn colour in particular
Hardiness: Hardy
Height: 30-40m, Spread: up to 15m
