Purple-Leaf European Beech
Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea
Learn about the purple-leaf European beech including when and why it was planted, how to identify it, and where to find it on campus.
Tree Facts
Family: Fagaceae
Type
Deciduous
Size
Large (greater than 50 feet)
Traits
- Glossy, purple football-shaped foliage
- Smooth, light gray bark
- Hard nuts that are between 1/2 and 1 inch long
Native Range
- Europe
Story of the Tree
Welcoming visitors to the Visitor Center stands a tall purple beech whose leaves are strikingly dark purple. Their deep maroon color, and the way they grow on the arching branches, makes this tree a memorable sight. Beeches are oak relatives with smooth, silvery or gray trunks.
The fruit from the purple-leaf European beech tree is the namesake for the Beech-Nut food company, founded in New York in 1891. Beech nuts are a good source of food for wildlife and in the past, people gathered and sold the nuts. The wood of this tree is also used for making paper and furniture.
Sylvester Park, located a few blocks to the north of West Campus, has a giant American beech, that is more than 70 feet tall and wide.
