Big Deal Copper Beech 150-175cm Root Ball x 20 Delivery from October

Copper Beech – Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea'

A Majestic Specimen Tree with Year-Round Colour and Timeless Appeal

Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea') is one of Britain's most dramatic and beloved native trees, offering a breathtaking seasonal display that few other specimens can rival. Rich purple-bronze foliage emerges in spring, deepening to a lustrous dark copper as summer progresses. As autumn arrives, the canopy shifts through warm tones of russet and amber before the leaves gradually dry and cling to the branches well into winter — offering structure and presence long after most deciduous trees have shed. With its broad, domed crown and smooth silver-grey bark, Copper Beech makes a commanding focal point in any garden or landscape setting.

Key Features

• Foliage: Deep purple in spring, darkening to rich copper-bronze through summer and autumn

• Form: Broadly domed, spreading canopy with smooth silver-grey bark

• Seasonal Interest: Year-round — from vivid spring colour to persistent winter foliage

• Wildlife Value: Provides valuable shelter, nesting sites, and mast (beech nuts) for birds and small mammals

• Hardiness: Fully hardy throughout the UK

Perfect For

• Parkland and large garden settings as a statement specimen tree

• Creating bold colour contrast within mixed tree and shrub planting schemes

• Long-term landscape planting for future generations

• Wildlife-friendly gardens providing food and shelter

Growing Conditions

• Position: Full sun to partial shade — foliage colour is richest and most vibrant in an open, sunny position.

• Soil: Prefers fertile, well-drained soil. Copper Beech is adaptable to chalk, loam, and sandy soils but dislikes heavy, waterlogged conditions.

• Shelter: Tolerates exposed positions once established, though young trees benefit from some wind protection in the early years.

Tip: Avoid planting in low-lying frost pockets where late spring frosts can scorch emerging foliage.

Care & Pruning

• Watering: Water consistently throughout the first growing season to help the tree establish a strong root system. Once settled, Copper Beech is largely drought-tolerant.

• Feeding: Apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring during the first few years to encourage healthy establishment and growth.

• Pruning: As a free-growing specimen tree, minimal pruning is required. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches in late winter while the tree is dormant. Avoid heavy pruning during the growing season.

• Mulching: Apply a generous mulch of well-rotted compost or bark around the base each spring to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil condition — keeping the mulch clear of the trunk itself.

Tip: Copper Beech is a long-lived, slow-to-mature tree — given space and time, it will become a truly spectacular and enduring feature of any landscape.