Fagus sylvatica 'PURPLE FOUNTAIN' weeping copper beech
Fagus
Beeches are reliable, hardy trees typical of our climate. The genus Fagus comprises roughly ten species of deciduous trees distributed across the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, chiefly in Europe, eastern Asia and North America. Fossil finds show that beeches were important components of forests already in the Tertiary, when the climate was warmer and wetter. The genus was described botanically by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 and has since become one of the cornerstones of European dendrology. For centuries beeches have been valued not only for their timber but also for their ability to form stable, long lived stands that have shaped both landscape and human culture.
The European beech has shaped the face of the Czech landscape for centuries as naturally as human settlement; native beechwoods were among the most widespread forest communities here and still survive in protected sites with an almost cathedral like atmosphere. For example: the park at Hluboká Castle, where extensive 19th century plantings and English style landscaping created monumental groups of solitary beeches. By contrast, the primeval core of Boubín Forest, protected since 1858, contains individuals estimated at 300–400 years old. The Voděradské beechwoods, designated a nature reserve in 1955 and covering roughly 650 ha, are one of the largest beech complexes in Central Bohemia and serve as an important research and educational site with rich fauna. These Czech examples mirror a wider European pattern — from managed estate parks and avenue plantings that shaped noble landscapes across Central Europe to ancient, protected beech remnants in the Carpathians, Białowieża and Hainich that preserve primeval forest dynamics and biodiversity. The beech has traditionally been a tree of shade, calm and endurance: its understorey was used for grazing, its beechnuts collected as fodder, and its timber for tools and craftwork. In folk tradition the beech is associated with wisdom and memory; old beeches were often treated as boundary markers, meeting places and living witnesses to the continuity of the landscape.
This red-leaved variety of common beech named Purple Fountain was a chance seedling from 1975. It is a slow growing small tree with weeping branches that do not need staking. The deciduous leaves are rich purple or nearly reddish-black, glossy. Thanks to its slow growth rate and reduced size it is suitable for small gardens, too.
The European beech is very undemanding. It performs best on deep, fertile, well drained soils in full sun to partial shade and does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging. After planting, water regularly and apply mulch to protect the root ball for the first three to five years; thereafter the beech is relatively tolerant of drier periods. Newly planted trees should be staked with a sturdy three pole support for three to five years and the area around the roots kept free of weeds and dense turf. Beeches are sensitive to road salt and are therefore unsuitable for immediate planting beside frequently salted roads. The root system is typically deep and strong; it is not aggressively invasive, but where space is limited some roots may expand and lift the surface, potentially damaging paving or shallow foundations. Prune sparingly: remove dead and damaged branches during dormancy and avoid heavy summer pruning, which leaves large wounds. Hardy to approximately −34 °C.
Last update 23-12-2007
Goods are shipped all over Europe. For Russia and U.K. and for further details please read about SHIPPING OPTIONS HERE.
Are you interested in a serious discount for orders NOV-FEB? Check your options here.
THE PRICES INCLUDE VAT of 15%. For quick conversion you can use 1 CZK = approx. 0.04 EUR
- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
