The common 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 copper beeches are very tolerant of pruning and are therefore suitable as hedge plants.
What are the special features of the European beech?
The special features of the common beech are its high tolerance to pruning, long-lasting and long-hanging foliage, decorative leaf coloring and its longevity, which makes it particularly suitable as a hedge plant. In winter it offers good privacy protection.
A tree as a hedge plant
A copper beech is suitable as a hedge plant for several reasons:
- High cutting tolerance
- long hanging leaves
- decorative leaf coloring
- Longevity
One of the most important characteristics of the common beech is its tolerance to cutting. European 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 common beech is summer green
Even though the common beech is a deciduous tree, it almost looks like an evergreen deciduous tree. This is because the leaves hang around for a very long time. The leaves dry out, but 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 that is not available with other summer-green deciduous trees.
The leaves of the common beech
Even though the beech is often referred to as the common beech, with the exception of the copper beech, it has green foliage. The foliage turns a bright orange in autumn and then turns brown.
New leaves emerge in spring together with the flower buds.
Common beeches only bloom after many decades
Many years pass before a common beech tree produces its inconspicuous flowers 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 only be harvested after 30 or 40 years at the earliest. The European beech cannot be manned beforehand.
Common beech hedges that are cut frequently generally do not produce any fruit. The inflorescences are removed when cutting.
Tip
Common beeches form a root system that runs shallowly below the surface of the earth. Over the decades, the roots become so strong that they destroy masonry and utility lines or lift sidewalk slabs. European beeches should therefore be planted at a sufficient distance from buildings and roads.
