Height60-80cm

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• Large, handsome deciduous tree (to 25–40 m) with smooth silver-grey bark, dense canopy casting deep shade, and attractive autumn colour (yellow to orange-brown).
• Often retains dead leaves on lower branches through winter (good for hedging/screens).
• Similar to European beech but generally more tolerant of warmer, drier conditions.
• Hardy across most of the UK; useful as a specimen, park, avenue or hedge tree.

Key planting points

• Site: Full sun to partial shade; avoid frost pockets and exposed very windy sites. Moderately wind-tolerant.
• Soil: Any free-draining soil (chalk, loam, sand, clay); tolerates acid to alkaline pH. Avoid waterlogged or poorly drained ground. Prefers humus-rich, not too dry conditions once established.
• When to plant: Bare-root – dormant season (November–March), avoiding frozen or waterlogged soil. 
• How to plant: Dig a hole twice the root width; plant at the same depth as previously grown; firm soil well and water thoroughly. Mulch to conserve moisture. Stake larger specimens if needed. Protect young trees from rabbits/deer.
• Spacing: Specimen trees – allow ample room (ultimate spread >8 m). Hedge – typically 45–60 cm apart (similar to common beech).
• Aftercare: Water regularly in the first 1–2 years during dry spells. Minimal pruning needed; can be clipped as a hedge. Young growth can be damaged by late frosts.

Suitable for large gardens, parks and landscapes; less ideal for small or very wet sites.

Photo credit: Alexander Rahm, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)