The copper beech is a deciduous deciduous tree that looks like an evergreen tree. This is because the leaves stay on the tree for a very long time, often throughout the winter. One of their special features is that beech trees are very tolerant of pruning and are therefore suitable as hedge plants.

The red beech inspires in autumn with its red foliage

A tree as a hedge plant

A copper beech is suitable as a hedge plant for several reasons:

  • High cutting tolerance
  • long hanging foliage
  • decorative leaf coloring
  • longevity

One of the most important characteristics of the common beech is its tolerance to pruning. Red beeches tolerate even radical pruning without any problems. They branch well and over time form a dense hedge up to four meters high.

The deciduous tree is very long-lived, so a beech hedge can grow in the garden for many decades.

The red beech is summer green

Even if the beech is a deciduous tree, it looks almost like an evergreen deciduous tree. This is because the foliage stays on for a very long time. Although the leaves dry up, they often only fall off when new growth begins in spring.

Due to this late leaf fall, beech hedges remain dense even in winter and form a good privacy screen, which is not the case with other deciduous trees.

The foliage of the red beech

Even if the beech is often referred to as a red beech, with the exception of the copper beech, it has green foliage. The foliage turns a bright orange in fall and then turns brown.

New leaves sprout in spring along with the flower buds.

Beech trees only bloom after many decades

Many years pass before a copper beech forms its inconspicuous blossoms for the first time. The first flowers can only be expected from the age of 15 to 20 years. Male and female flowers grow on a tree.

Beechnuts can be harvested after 30 or 40 years at the earliest. Before that, the red beech is not "manable".

On beech hedges that are cut frequently, there are usually no fruits. The inflorescences are removed when cutting.

tips

Beech trees form a root system that runs flat beneath the surface of the earth. Over the decades, the roots become so strong that they destroy masonry and utility lines or lift up sidewalk slabs. Beech trees should therefore be planted at a sufficient distance from buildings and roads.

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