Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Tricolor' 12Ltr pot

Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Tricolor' (12L Pot)

A genuinely eye-catching selection, this tricolour beech is grown for its unusual and vivid variegated foliage — leaves open a rich red-purple with an irregular pink margin in spring, an especially intense display, before settling to purple with soft pink-cream edges through summer, and finally turning dark gold in autumn before falling. The smooth, silvery-grey bark provides a striking contrast to the coppery leaves that often persist on the branches through winter.

Inconspicuous flowers appear in spring, followed by typical beech fruits. As with other variegated forms, the foliage is more sensitive to light and can scorch in intense sun on dry soil, so moisture-retentive ground helps keep it looking its best.

Tolerant of a range of well-drained soils including chalk, clay, loam and sand, it thrives in full sun or partial shade — red-leaved forms need good light for the best colour, but consistent moisture helps prevent leaf scorch. Naturally airy and thin in youth, it develops into a medium-sized tree with a spreading, open crown, eventually exceeding 12m with a spread wider than 8m, though its slow growth rate means it can be kept smaller with careful pruning, making it suitable even for more modest gardens as a striking specimen or architectural feature.

Supplied as a well-established plant in a 12-litre pot, ready to plant out and establish quickly.

Each plant is hand-selected before dispatch.