Purple Beech Hedge Plant Description
Easily recognisable by its purple and green tones in the spring and summer, Purple Beech hedging - also known as Copper Beech - turns a striking copper and burgundy hue in the colder months. Although it is a deciduous hedge, Purple Beech hedging will retain some of its beautiful autumnal foliage during the winter.
Purple Beech grows into a thick, dense hedge with a colourful tapestry of fluttery leaves. It grows well in both sun and partial shade, as well as most soil types, as long as the soil is moist but well-drained. These types of hedges are relatively low maintenance and only need pruning once or twice a year, although they do grow quickly at a rate of 40-60cm per year.
Purple Beech hedging is grown from seed, meaning that colours do vary - some will have foliage that is almost black in colour, whereas a few will be dark green, so if you are aiming for an all-purple hedge, it's worth buying a few extra bare root plants to remove any rogue greens. Alternatively, pot-grown Purple Beech trees will have a stunning purple colour.
For even more colour, try mixing it with Green Beech hedging or one of Hedges Direct's many colourful hedges
Premium Products - Call to order or enquire
Premium products (indicated by a forklift icon and 'Premium Product' in the product table), require specialist delivery due to their size and weight. For these items a bespoke delivery charge applies. Please call the team on
01257 263 873 if you wish to order or enquire about any of these products.
*All premium products are excluded from any promotional discounts.
You’ll see our recommended planting densities for each size and root type listed in the product grid. We suggest that you use these as a guide, taking into consideration how long you’re willing to wait to see your finished hedge. As a rough indication bare roots can be planted at anything from 3 to 7 per metre and cell grown between 4 and 6 - the higher densities here would need to be planted in a double staggered row or zig-zag.
For more information on planting distances please see our
planting density advice section.
Purple Beech hedging is relatively low maintenance and by planning your beech hedging care routine carefully, you will only have to prune once or twice a year.
Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea' can be tidied up in June, if it’s looking a little messy but we'd recommend pruning an established beech hedge in late summer. August is the ideal time, as a late summer cutting means that the plants have enough time to re-grow and recover before the winter and having a last flush of growth increases the winter coverage that makes beech hedging so popular.
Looking after a beech hedge is important, but it is possible to renovate an overgrown beech hedge. This sort of beech hedging maintenance should be carried out in February whilst it’s still dormant. If your overgrown beech hedge requires cutting back by more than half of its size it is best to do this gradually over two growing seasons. Firstly, cut back the top and one side of the hedge, leaving the other side for the following year.
Hard pruning is nothing to worry about, the beech hedging growth rate is particularly fast, approximately 30-60cm per year so your hedge will soon recover. With regular beech hedging maintenance, we do recommend using a slow release fertiliser, such as Bonemeal.
Free delivery is available on most orders (except Premium Products) providing they meet the minimum spend criteria for the size of box or pallet. Pallet deliveries and large box deliveries for tall plants are indicated by icons on the product table listings. Delivery costs and minimum order details for each packaging type are as follows:
| Packaging Type | Standard Delivery Charge | Minimum Order Values (incl VAT) for FREE Delivery |
|---|
| Standard Boxes (Bare roots up to 1.2m tall and pots up to and incl. 7.5L) | £7.99 delivery charge (orders up to £100 incl VAT) | Orders of £100 and over - FREE |
| Tall Boxes (Bare roots 1.2m and over) | £14.99 delivery charge (orders up to £100 incl VAT) | Orders of £100 and over - FREE |
| Pallets (Root balls, large pots (10L+), trees etc) | £60.00 delivery charge (orders up to £350 incl VAT) | Orders of £350 and over - FREE |
| Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery) | £450.00 delivery charge (orders up to £1500 incl VAT) | Orders of £1500 and over - FREE |
There are some exceptions to the standard delivery pricing structure, which relate to deliveries to more remote areas, overseas, or extremely tall or large plants requiring specialist delivery - for more information see the Delivery Information Page. (Please note that due to new Brexit rules, we are currently unable to export to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.).
Delivery Time - Please note that delivery times are currently 3-7 days excluding bank holidays. *Some troughs and trees may take up to 14 days delivery. We are working through existing orders as quickly as possible to deliver new orders within this timescale.
It's Convenient - no need to wait in all day to sign, we don't need a signature (the odd, larger order may require a signature but will be delivered at a mutually agreeable time).
It's Tried & Tested - we use only couriers who have shown consistency in their efficiency & care.
* Please note that delivery costs are based on the final order amount in your cart after any discounts have been applied.
Hedges Direct 12 Month Plant Guarantee
Our plants are guaranteed for 12 months after delivery subject to specific criteria. Visit our Hedges Direct Plant Guarantee Page for full details.
Nominated Day Delivery
Choose a delivery day that suits you with our new Nominated Day Delivery option at checkout. Whilst our standard no signature delivery means you don't need to take time away from other committments to receive your order, we understand that there are times our customers want to make sure they are present to accept delivery, either to plant straight away or to store somewhere safe and out of the way until you're ready to plant.
For an additional fee, you can make sure that your order arrives on the exact day you want it. Please note that this is additional charge to all qualifying orders, including those above the free delivery threshold for Standard Delivery.
Our Nominated Day Delivery is available year-round on the weekdays Tuesdays to Fridays, excluding the day after any bank holiday.
Some products are sent direct from our suppliers and as such are not available for Nominated Day Delivery. These include:- Cell Grown Hedging Plants- Instant Trough Grown Hedging Plants- Instant Hedging Screens- Premium Root Balls (250cm and above in height)- Turf
To book your Nominated Day Delivery for farther ahead than the 3 week window available online, please contact our Sales & Advice team to discuss your options.
-Leaf-Close-Up.jpg "Beech - Purple or Copper")
-Full-Hedge.jpg "Purple or Copper Beech (Fagus Sylvatica Atropurpurea) Full Hedge")
-Leaves.jpg "Purple or Copper Beech (Fagus Sylvatica Atropurpurea) Leaves")
-Multiple-Leaves.jpg "Purple or Copper Beech (Fagus Sylvatica Atropurpurea) Multiple Leaves")
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