A weeping European beech - a tree that won't grow in the tropics

[piping plover]

I was visiting my other favorite online forum featuring enviable palms and orchids growing outdoors. I thought wouldn't it be interesting to post a photo of a tree in my garden in the northeast; a tree that doesn't struggle to grow in our cold winters and coolish maritime summers near Newport, RI. Newport has many very large specimens of the weeping European green variety that are likely over 120 yrs old. When you walk under a mature specimen in the summer it is like walking into a cool cave or grotto. I've had this tree for over 20 years and it actually fit in my small college car when I came home from college one summer. Fagus grandifolia pendula 'purple fountain'. When the leaves 1st emerge they are a translucent red, but then darken to rusty dark purple and the tree is opaque once leaves mature. I've noticed that these trees struggle to grow even down in MD and DC area, a horticulturist at the Smithsonian told me that the growing tips burn, tree struggles in the hot humid mid-Atlantic summers.

[WaterWitchin]

That is one heck of a cool tree Piping Plover!! I'm enchanted... especially the weeping form, and the leaves that start out translucent quality when leafing out. Now there's one I'll have to admire from afar... I'm sure it would hate Kansas weather.

[DeaC]

That beauty and wisteria would fulfil my desires.

[DirtyCoconuts]

i love it

envy for sure


wisteria, Deac? why cant you grow that?

[WaterWitchin]

Yeah, deac... I don’t understand that myself.

[piping plover]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

That is one heck of a cool tree Piping Plover!! I'm enchanted... especially the weeping form, and the leaves that start out translucent quality when leafing out. Now there's one I'll have to admire from afar... I'm sure it would hate Kansas weather.

Thank you WW! Yes, it made me realize that exotic is sometimes simply something that does not grow in your area and all areas have their edge with special flora/fauna. And weather tourism people go to Kansas to chase epic cloud formations and storms rare to the rest of the globe.

BTW how is your orchid greenhouse/sunroom project coming along? I think I have the correct OP on that topic-- Weren't you working on that last year?

---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:31 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DeaC

That beauty and wisteria would fulfil my desires.

Yes, wisteria growing up that tree would be a show stopper. great idea. Imagine the color contrast of bluish wisteria flowers with deep wine-red beech foliage. I'll need to remember to take a photo of the beech when the leaves are at their finest color in May/June. I captured the beginning and end of season with these 2 pics.

---------- Post added at 06:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:36 PM ----------

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

i love it

envy for sure


wisteria, Deac? why cant you grow that?

Thank you DC. And I am envying the south FLorida weather now. I did not make my usual 2 trips to FL this year and really am missing it. I really want to visit Fairchild gardens again, been years since I made my way out there.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by piping plover

Thank you WW! Yes, it made me realize that exotic is sometimes simply something that does not grow in your area and all areas have their edge with special flora/fauna. And weather tourism people go to Kansas to chase epic cloud formations and storms rare to the rest of the globe.

BTW how is your orchid greenhouse/sunroom project coming along? I think I have the correct OP on that topic-- Weren't you working on that last year?....

Absolutely! One's man trash is another's treasure, big time. And yeah, meh, I've lived here all my life and I still don't get the storm chasers who come here.

Yes! Gracias for asking.... it's going very well, better than even anticipated. BUT, with a huge learning curve. Extremely different than my winter BatCave days. I would give some details, but still trying to figure it out myself. Regardless, these old knees are grateful with anticipation of less stairs to climb up and down in the future. That's been the quickest learning curve thus far.

[Dollythehun]

Late to the party. We're in the middle of winter, or I'd post a pic of my Tri Color Beech. Deac, wisteria is a thug! You want it on a pergola, not a tree. Like Bittersweet, it'll take down and smother a tree... From experience.

Great beech, btw!

[DeaC]

Not new to wisteria. In my previous home had a pergola built and it(structure and plant) was a thing of beauty. Now I'm in a gated community and can't deal with folks who "give permission" for building requirements-guess I'm getting old and crotchity. Lots of wild ones pop up by the roadside and wish they'd seed themselves in woods behind my home. Then again...!

[estación seca]

After bloom season I face a major battle with the wisteria on my mom's gazebo. I'm going to take it back to a few very large trunks and only let it regrow well above ground level. This time I won't let it climb over the nearby hibiscus and grass. Depending on what I find some of the wooden gazebo slatting may need repair or replacement.