Copper Beech Tree Fagus sylvatica

Copper Beech Trees: A Field Guide

A cousin of European beech, copper beech is a statement tree in a landscape and may reach heights of more than 120 feet if given sufficient space and centuries. 

Since first being recorded in 15th-century Germany, copper beech also has made itself known as an ensemble performer, and can be grown as hedging in a smaller space. Be warned, though, that its purplish leaves are not universally admired as a backdrop. The great 20th-century landscaper Russell Page wrote in his classic The Education of a Gardener: “Nothing destroys the harmony of a garden more than the dark blotch of a copper beech.” We respectfully disagree.