{"id":3103,"date":"2020-06-22T05:23:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T13:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/?p=3103"},"modified":"2020-06-22T05:50:27","modified_gmt":"2020-06-22T13:50:27","slug":"beech-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/beech-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"Beech Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Beech-variegated\"<\/a>What is not to like about beech trees?\u00a0 They are high, wide and handsome at maturity, with big, spreading crowns and singular bark that looks remarkably like elephant skin.\u00a0 Birds and squirrels make homes in the branches and all kinds of creatures eat the annual harvest of beechnuts.\u00a0 Native American beech or Fagus grandifolia, is a large, landscape tree that can reach 70 feet tall and somewhat less in width at maturity.\u00a0 The toothed, ovoid green leaves color up in the fall, turning golden before leaving the scene.<\/p>\n

For some reason, American beech has not caught the fancy of plant breeders in the way that its European cousin, Fagus sylvatica or European beech has.\u00a0 The Old World variety is available in weeping, dwarf and variegated types.\u00a0 The species form bears lustrous green leaves, but many varieties have striking dark burgundy to purple-black foliage.\u00a0 Beech lovers are spoiled for choice.<\/p>\n

Not long ago I came across an especially eye-catching European beech variety and now I am madly in love.\u00a0 The medium-size tree looked rosy pink from a distance, but closer inspection revealed that the leaves were actually purple variegated with dark pink.\u00a0 This stunning object of my latest horticultural crush is a variety that goes by the name \u2018Purpurea Tricolor\u2019 or \u2018Roseomarginata\u2019.\u00a0 Confusion reigns over names, but there is no confusion about the tree\u2019s beauty.\u00a0 The leaves are as lovely and colorful as flowers.<\/p>\n

The two Latin varietal names say it all.\u00a0 \u2018Purpurea Tricolor\u2019 features deep purple leaves accented with vivid rose and cream.\u00a0 The specimen that caught my eye sported foliage that was splashed with a wide pink edge surrounding the dusky purple center.\u00a0 Other tricolor varieties feature cream and pale pink in the leaf margins, and those margins can be slender or wide.\u00a0 It all seems to depend on the particular tree, its cultural conditions and the time of year.\u00a0 The deep purple eventually turns greenish as temperatures increase, but the dramatic effect remains.\u00a0 That said, I think the trees are at their loveliest in late spring, before the heat and the green coloration sets in.<\/p>\n

Whether you call it \u2018Purpurea Tricolor\u2019 or \u2018Roseomarginata\u2019, this flashy variegated beech is no Johnny-come-lately.\u00a0 Woody plant expert Michael Dirr notes that it appeared in France in 1883.\u00a0 Other sources point to other years, but it is clear that the trees have been around since the last quarter of the nineteenth century, migrating to the United States from Europe.<\/p>\n

Beech lovers not blessed with large swathes of property can rejoice in the fact that \u2018Purpurea Tricolor\u2019 lacks the mammoth dimensions of standard beech varieties.\u00a0 The trees top out at no more than 35 feet tall and 25 feet wide\u2014not small, but manageable.\u00a0 It provides enough drama to be used as a single, specimen tree, but could also anchor a shade garden.<\/p>\n

The variety is a classic understory tree, flourishing in conditions that mimic those of woodland edges\u2014a mix of sun and light shade.\u00a0 If the tree gets too much sun, the leaf edges tend to scorch and curl up.\u00a0 Since you can\u2019t apply sun block to a tree, it is best to find it a spot that meets its light needs.<\/p>\n

Proper siting will also help the plant conserve water.\u00a0 This beech does not love extended periods of hot, dry weather, so mulching is necessary.\u00a0 A two-inch cover of mulch surrounding the tree in a circle with a two foot radius is perfect.\u00a0 Remember not to create a mulch \u201cvolcano\u201d, with the mulch touching the tree bark.\u00a0 This practice, which is rather common, especially among commercial landscapers, promotes bacteria growth and disease.<\/p>\n

When yard and garden space is at a premium, it is sometimes hard to commit to just one ornamental tree.\u00a0 \u2018Purpurea Tricolor\u2019 has a lot to recommend it.\u00a0 The yellow-green spring flowers are small and insignificant, but the leaves are gorgeous for the entire growing season.\u00a0 Combine that with attractive bark and a comely silhouette, and the variety becomes a strong contender for garden stardom.<\/p>\n

Some large nurseries may carry \u2018Purpurea Tricolor\u2019 under that name or as \u2018Roseomarginata\u2019.\u00a0 It may also be listed as \u201cRose-Magret Variegated Beech\u201d.\u00a0 Whatever name you use, ForestFarm nursery carries it.\u00a0 Find them at P.O. Box 1, Williams, Oregon<\/a>\u00a0 97544; (541) 846-7269; www.forestfarm.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Print catalog: $5.00.<\/p>\n

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What is not to like about beech trees?\u00a0 They are high, wide and handsome at maturity, with big, spreading crowns and singular bark that looks remarkably like elephant skin.\u00a0 Birds and squirrels make homes in the branches and all kinds of creatures eat the annual harvest of beechnuts.\u00a0 Native American beech or Fagus grandifolia, is … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,2,3,5],"tags":[2327,2325,2326,2328,2321,2322,2320,1713,2323,2324],"class_list":["post-3103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fall","category-general-interest","category-spring","category-summer","category-winter","tag-beech-varieties","tag-color-changing-trees","tag-decorative-foliage","tag-european-beech","tag-fagus-purpurea-tricolor","tag-fagus-roseomarginata","tag-fagus-sylvatica","tag-ornamental-trees","tag-purple-beech","tag-variegated-beech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3103"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3107,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3103\/revisions\/3107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenersapprentice.com\/gardeningtips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}