Fagus 'Roseomarginata'

(Synonyms 'Tricolor,' 'Purple Tricolor.') Among the most lovely of all European Beeches, this boldly variegated slow grower offers extraordinary color three seasons of the year. Its foliage is heavily rippled and textured, with a sculpted look that silhouettes beautifully. In spring and summer it is green with generous dark pink and white markings around the edges; in autumn it burnishes a bright shade of copper.

These leaves are oval, measuring about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. They keep their colors nicely even in hot summer weather, provided they are grown in partial shade (relief from afternoon sun is the best siting, though when young they can tolerate almost full shade). Very handsome, the foliage is attention-getting even from a distance, making 'Roseomarginata' the focus of any planting or design.

As lovely as the tricolor foliage is, it is hard to mourn it in autumn, when the entire leaf turns a fiery-bright shade of copper and remains that way for many weeks! One of the best trees for autumn color, 'Roseomarginata' holds its own with Japanese Maples, Dogwoods, and other stars of the fall garden. And after the leaves finally drop into a shimmery copper pool on the garden floor, the bare gray bark of this tree, smooth and unblemished, offers a nice look for winter. There is no "out of season" for this deciduous tree!

'Roseomarginata' also sets masses of small three-cornered nuts, but unlike our sweet-flavored American beechnuts, these are both bitter and slightly toxic. Leave them for the wildlife and enjoy their ornamental value only!

A very slow grower, 'Roseomarginata' needs good soil drainage as well as protection from burning sun and strong winds. It will take several seasons to establish, but once it does, you will find it moderately drought-tolerant and very amendable to urban pollution. Over time it forms a rounded, somewhat pyramidal tree 24 to 40 feet tall and 30 feet wide, a legacy planting that will be admired in your landscape for countless decades to come. Zones 4-7.