Fagus sylvatica Brathay Purple - Beech

Fagus sylvatica 'Brathay Purple' is a relatively small selection of Common Beech with astonishing foliage. In spring, the leaves are dark red to brown-purple, slightly curled and twisted, and irregular on the edges, densely clustered on the branches. They turn green during the summer and then pale yellow-brown in autumn. The small tree forms a spreading and irregular crown. This hardy Beech grows in full sun or partial shade, in a wide range of soils. It can be planted in a large shrub bed or as a specimen plant.

The Beech, in Latin Fagus sylvatica, is an imposing tree with a spreading habit. Its cylindrical trunk is covered with smooth, light grey bark. This tree can live for several centuries. Native to central Europe to the Caucasus, it is one of the most common species in European forests reaching a height of 20m at maturity. Its reddish wood is used in cabinetmaking and for the production of wooden tools and toys as well as firewood. It is a member of the Fagaceae family, which also includes the Oak, Chestnut, and a few other lesser-known genera.

The 'Brathay Purple' Beech is a colourful mutation of the 'Cristata' cultivar, derived from a tree growing in the cemetery of Brathay, a small English town. It is characterised by slow growth and modest development, reaching a height of 6 to 8m and a width of 6m at maturity. Its habit is upright, narrow, or widening at the top to form a spreading crown. It is a very unique variety of Beech with small, deeply toothed or lobed leaves that are delightfully incurved. It is interesting to note that the leaves do not grow uniformly on the branches but in groups of several. Between the clusters of leaves, long naked stems without leaves are clearly visible. This gives the plant an exotic appearance, resembling a bonsai. Hardy down to -25°C, this small tree appreciates humus-bearing soils and does not tolerate drought.

Fagus sylvatica 'Brathay Purple' is a charming small tree with an architectural silhouette and attractive foliage that can be planted in medium to large gardens. It will thrive without maintenance and prefers cool and temperate, or mountain climates, and will suffer in gardens in summers that are too hot and not rainy enough. It thrives particularly well in moist, but not too wet, well-drained soils, even limestone and preferably rich in humus. Planted as a specimen, it becomes a focal point of interest. However, it can be trained as a topiary to reduce its size or cultivated as a bonsai.