Fagus sylvatica 'Atropunicea'

Purple beech and copper beech are common names for the same plant: purple-leaved forms of beech, Fagus sylvatica, sold for hedging as Fagus sylvatica 'Atropunicea' or Purpurea Group. The leaves open ruby red in spring, turn deep purple in summer and coppery bronze in autumn, which is where the copper name comes from.

Yes. Like green beech, a clipped purple beech hedge holds most of its dry, copper-brown leaves through winter until new growth pushes them off in spring. This is strongest on young and regularly clipped hedges, and a late summer trim helps.

Once established, a purple beech hedge typically grows around 30 to 60cm a year depending on soil and conditions, often at the gentler end of that range compared with green beech. The first season after planting is mostly spent building roots.

Yes, mixing purple and green beech makes a beautiful tapestry hedge. A regular rhythm, such as one purple plant to every two or three green, gives a patterned effect, while a random mix looks softer. Both are clipped the same way, once a year in late summer.

Purple beech grows in sun or partial shade, but full sun gives the richest, deepest purple. In more shade the leaves often take on a greener tint by late summer. It prefers free-draining soil and dislikes ground that stays wet.

Plant purple beech in the dormant season, from late autumn to early spring. Bare-root plants are available from roughly November to March and root-balled plants from roughly October or November to March, while pot-grown plants can go in all year with good watering.

Spacing depends on how wide the plants are supplied: divide 100 by the width in centimetres, so plants 50cm wide go in at 2 per metre and plants about 30cm wide at roughly 3 per metre. Bare-root whips are planted more densely, often 5 per metre in a staggered double row. The Form Plants team confirms spacing for each order.

Trim a purple beech hedge once a year in late summer, around August, for a crisp shape and the best winter leaf retention. A light trim in early summer often brings a fresh flush of red new leaves. Check for nesting birds before clipping.

A purple beech hedge is easily kept anywhere from about 1m (3 ft) to 4m (13 ft) or more with regular clipping, and 1.8 to 2m (6 to 6.5 ft) is a popular height for privacy. Unclipped, it grows into a large tree, so annual trimming keeps it a hedge.

The cost of a purple beech hedge depends on the height you start with, the format and the tier you choose. Value purple beech plants are younger plants that knit together over a few seasons and suit longer runs on a budget, while Premium plants are fuller and more mature, including ready-made hedge elements for an instant finish. Live prices and sizes are shown at the top of this page, and the team will confirm plant numbers and a full quote for each order.

Yes. You are welcome to visit the Row Town showroom in Surrey, open Monday to Saturday and on bank holidays (closed on Sundays), with no appointment needed. For dedicated one-to-one help choosing plants and working out quantities, book a Genus Bar appointment through our website or email info@formplants.com.

Yes. Our in-house team arranges delivery across Surrey, London, the Home Counties and nationwide, with HIAB or Moffett crane offloading for larger root-balled plants and hedge elements. Delivery is quoted for each order based on its size and location, so send your postcode to info@formplants.com and the team will confirm.