Copper Beech Hedge Plants

Fagus sylvatica purpurea

As a hedge plant, copper beech can be kept to whatever height you deem practical and 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. In autumn the leaves darken to a deep green before drying and, like green beech, dry but remain on the tree. Copper beech does not grow in waterlogged soils but it does love chalk. Altogether an excellent member of our range of beech hedging for sale

Copper beech in the garden

Anyone lucky enough to have the space to grow a copper beech as a feature to draw the eye in some distant part of the garden or neighbouring field should certainly invest in one. They are magnificent trees. Most of us are not that lucky, however, so failing this wealth of space a hedge of copper beech adds panache and a sense of theatre to a garden full of greens and silvers. Imagine a herbaceous border full of hot colours enveloped by a copper beech hedge, rather like a photo frame containing and focusing attention on the picture within. The concentration of leaves in the hedge means that your privacy is guaranteed if you grow it as a boundary or perimeter hedge. Although deciduous, if you trim the trees in mid-summer they will hold onto their leaves throughout the winter guaranteeing privacy and all year round structure in your garden. A copper beech hedge is a perfect tool for dividing and defining space in a garden and provides a fantastic opportunity for colour combining; silver foliage and really bright colours stand out so well against it. If a solid copper beech hedge feels like overkill, take inspiration from a garden like Hidcote where they have a famous tapestry hedge of copper beech interspersed with holly. Alternatively mix up some green, common beech with the purple variety to ring the changes.

Features

• Size sold: 40-175 cm
• Height: 1m to very tall
• Soil: well drained soil, likes full sun
• Use: Formal/Native
• Single Row: 3/m
• Double row: 5/m
• Colour: copper - purple
• Dramatic backdrop

Core facts about copper beech

If you think about the considerable energy expended on naming plants accurately the copper beech's Latin name can be confusing. It is always Fagus sylvatica but is sometimes known as purpurea, atropurpurea or even atropunicea..... but panic not, they are all the same thing. The colour of the purple leaf comes from pigments called anthocyanins which mask the bright green of the chlorophyll pigment that the plant uses to photosynthesise. It is these very same anthocyanins that give fruits like blueberries their colour and make them so healthy.