The weeping beech, ''

Fagus sylvatica ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more ...

'' 'Pendula', is a

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

of the deciduous

European beech ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more ...

. The original tree was found in the grounds of an English park, and it has been propagated by

grafting Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...

, then many distributed widely.

Physical description

The weeping beech is characterized by its shape with sweeping, pendulous branches. The

trunk Trunk may refer to: Biology * Trunk (anatomy), synonym for torso * Trunk (botany), a tree's central superstructure * Trunk of corpus callosum, in neuroanatomy * Elephant trunk, the proboscis of an elephant Computing * Trunk (software), in rev ...

of the tree may not be visible from a distance due to the presence of the covering "weeping" branches. Branches may reach the ground and start new roots again. Smaller than the common beech, the tree can reach a height of up to and tends to be wider than high. Leaves of the weeping beech are broad, flat, simple and not lobed. They have smooth margins and alternate. They typically measure in length. Flowers appear in the spring and are inconspicuous. The

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...

nuts sit in a thin spiny husk and are less than 5 cm in diameter. The triangular beech nuts are popular in autumn with birds, mice and squirrels. The green leaves become copper-toned in the fall. In winter the skeleton of the silvery stem with its branches remains attractive. The purple pigment in the leaves acts like a sunscreen to protect its new leaves, which is particularly important for plants that grow at high altitudes where the sun is fierce.

Habitat and maintenance

The tree is not native to North America but grows in

USDA hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

s 4–7. It needs moisture and well drained soil and prefers sunny to semi-shaded zones. The tree does not tolerate industrial pollution or street salt. Young trees need to be staked to make them grow upward; growth tends to be slow. Weeping beeches may live for 150 to 200 years. Pests that can attack the tree includes aphids,

borer Borer may refer to: Insects * Stem borer * Twig borer * Shoot borer Moths * ''Chilo'' (moth) *'' Diatraea grandiosella'', southwestern corn borer *'' Podosesia syringae'', ash borer or lilac borer *'' Melittia cucurbitae'', squash vine borer ...

s (flat-headed apple tree borer, two-lined chestnut borer), certain caterpillars, and fungal disease.

References

Fagus Weeping trees Ornamental plant cultivars {{Fagales-stub