32. Copper Beech
Fagaceae
Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea
Specimen Size: 90.6ft tall, 29.5in in diameter.
Location: North west corner of the HUB yard near the swing.
Historical Background: Copper or European beech was introduced by settlers as ornamental and shade trees centuries ago. Beeches here are not valued for their nuts, since most of them are hollow, and squirrels eat most that are not. However, oil made from the nuts is said to be equal in delicacy to olive oil. Consumed in excess, the seeds can be poisonous. The wood of beech is less useful than that of its oak relatives because it is often attacked by beetles and it is not durable enough for use outdoors. The leaf buds harvested in the winter and dried on the twigs can be used as toothpicks. Beech and book are of the same root word, as Germanic people wrote on beech bark in years gone.
Non-native
Native Range: Europe
Identifying Features: The Beech family has already been encountered on this tour, as it also included the Oaks (genus Quercus), although this tree looks quite different from its acorn bearing cousins. The standard European beech has leaves which are a shiny dark green above and light green below, but this variety, purpurea, has instead a color of foliage which ranges from purple to a coppery gold, a truly spectacular visage of eternal fall all summer long. It is a grand spreading tree with limited apical control and a large rounded crown. The ovate and elliptical leaves have distinctive wavy edges with small teeth and 5-9 parallel veins. Bark is likewise distinctive, beautifully smooth and with a range of grays. The fruit of this tree is the beechnut, which at times can litter the ground around specimens. It is edible.
Identifying Features In Depth:
Form: A spreading tree with a rounded crown, dense, with spreading branches that can droop almost to the ground. It can reach a height of 70’ (21m), and a width of greater than 2.5’ (0.8m).
Leaves: Grow in rows off the branch, to a length of 2-4” (5-10cm) in a broad elliptical to ovate manner with small teeth or waves on the edges. On this variety they are a coppery or purplish color, and have 5-9 parallel veins on each side. They are short stalked and when young quite hairy, and in autumn can become more deeply colored before falling.
Bark: Bark is light gray and smooth. Twigs are gray to brown, with fine hairs at youth turning sparser with age. Buds are scaly.
Reproductive Bodies: Fruits appear as prickly burlike containers, 1” (2.5cm) in length and maturing in late autumn. They are light brown, split into 4 parts each of which generally contains 2 triangular shiny brown edible seeds known as beechnuts.
The native range of Fagus sylvatica in Europe, compiled by Yale University.
Below is the description found for this species on the original Brockman Memorial Tree Tour:
Historic Tree Tour Information: Color is the operative word for this tree. In this specimen, on the HUB lawn near Thompson Hall, the leaves are copper colored instead of the normal green. Copper beech is a gigantic shade tree that produces tiny nuts and is a frequently planted ornamental because of its beauty. Silvery, smooth bark on the trunk distinguishes beeches even in winter. The blunt leaves are shaped like an egg. Next to the Art building (near the Cedar of Lebanon) is a dark purple variant.
Beeches here are not valued for their nuts, since most of them are hollow, and squirrels eat most that are not. However, oil made from the nuts is said to be equal in delicacy to olive oil. Consumed in excess, the seeds can be poisonous. The wood of beech is less useful than that of its oak relatives because it is often attacked by beetles and it not durable enough for use outdoors. The leaf buds harvested in the winter and dried on the twigs can be used as toothpicks.
