Fagus sylvatica 'Riversii'European beech
A selection of purple beech with large leaves and the darkest, most stable purple in the genus, which holds its colour all summer and turns copper in autumn. A broad, dense crown on a smooth grey trunk. A tree for parks and large gardens, to be seen from afar.
- The darkest, most stable purple among beeches, without turning green in summer
- Large leaf, purple-red new growth and copper in autumn
- Broad, dense crown for a single specimen in large gardens
About this cultivar
Fagus sylvatica 'Riversii' reaches 20 to 25 metres in height and 12 to 18 in width, with a dense, rounded crown and oval leaves, larger than those of the species, of an almost black purple. It was selected in England in the 19th century and remains the benchmark purple beech for the stability of its colour, which does not turn green in summer.
The new growth is a bright purple-red, the foliage darkens with the heat and ends in copper and dark red in autumn. The smooth grey bark of the trunk and main branches gains presence in winter.
It is a tree for a cool climate: it wants deep, fertile, well-drained soils, sun or partial shade, and does not tolerate prolonged drought or waterlogging. In the North and the cool interior it gives long-lived, low-maintenance specimens; in hot areas it needs supplementary watering in the first summers and shelter from the afternoon sun.
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