Copper Beech Pleached Tree (Fagus Sylvatica 'Purpurea')

Copper Beech Pleached Tree Description

The copper beech pleached tree is a striking and elegant addition to any garden or landscape, renowned for its stunning deep purple foliage that transitions to a warm coppery bronze in the autumn. When pleached, the copper beech creates a formal, structured appearance, making it an ideal choice for creating privacy screens, hedges, or adding architectural interest to outdoor spaces. Its dense, elegant foliage provides year-round beauty, as the tree often retains its dried leaves throughout the winter, offering visual interest even during the colder months.

Pruning Advice

Pruning is essential for maintaining the pleached form and ensuring the tree remains healthy and well-shaped. Here are some key tips for pruning your copper beech pleached tree:

Timing: The best time to prune is in late winter to early spring, just before the tree begins to grow new leaves. This allows the tree to recover quickly from pruning and encourages fresh growth. A light trim in late summer can also help to maintain the pleached form and remove any overly vigorous growth.

Method: Begin by removing any dead, damaged, or crossing branches to improve air circulation and prevent disease. Focus on shaping the tree by trimming lateral branches to maintain the pleached frame. Be sure to maintain the structure’s balanced and uniform appearance, as this is the defining feature of pleached trees. Use sharp, clean pruning shears to avoid causing any damage to the branches.

Annual Maintenance: After the initial pruning, it’s important to inspect the tree annually to ensure the pleached form is maintained. Light trimming throughout the growing season can help encourage denser foliage and prevent the tree from becoming too leggy. Remove any shoots or branches that disrupt the structure.

Further Information

Privacy and Screening: The dense, layered growth of the pleached copper beech makes it an excellent choice for creating effective privacy screens or hedges. Its foliage provides excellent coverage, ideal for blocking unwanted views or creating secluded outdoor spaces. In winter, the tree retains its dried leaves, providing continued screening and privacy when many other trees have lost their foliage.

Year-Round Interest: The copper beech’s deep purple leaves in spring and summer, which change to rich bronze tones in autumn, make it a standout in any garden. Even in winter, the dried leaves cling to the branches, adding a warm, textural element to the landscape when most other trees are bare.

Wildlife-Friendly: The copper beech attracts a range of wildlife. Its small, inconspicuous flowers in spring provide early-season pollinators, while its beechnuts, which mature in autumn, are a valuable food source for birds and small mammals, such as squirrels.

Low Maintenance: Once established, the copper beech is relatively low-maintenance, requiring little more than regular pruning to maintain its pleached shape. It is tolerant of a variety of soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy soils, as long as they are well-drained. Its adaptability to both moist and dry conditions makes it a hardy tree in many UK gardens.

Delivery & Returns

Free delivery is available on most orders (except Premium Products) providing they meet the minimum spend criteria for the size of box or pallet. Pallet deliveries and large box deliveries for tall plants are indicated by icons on the product table listings. Delivery costs and minimum order details for each packaging type are as follows:

* Standard Sized Boxes (Bare root up to 1.2m tall & pots up to 7.5L) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £250 | or £9.98 charge.

* Tall Sized Boxes (Bare roots 1.2m & over) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £250 | or £24.99 charge.

* Pallets (Root balls, large pots 10L+, trees etc | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £350 | or £82 charge.

* Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £1500 | or £450 charge.