Upright Beech, Dawyck Beech

Fagus sylvatica Dawyck is an upright form of the Common Beech, Fagus sylvatica.

This tree has a number of the great qualities of its parent, most notably green glossy foliage that turns to golden brown in the autumn time. The significant difference with this species is the crown shape, which is tightly columnar, forming a distinctive flame shape as it matures.

When mature this medium to large tree seldom reaches more than 3m wide.

Fagus sylvatica Dawyck originated in Scotland, winning the Award of Garden Merit in 2002. Wonderful specimens of this architectural beauty can be seen planted in the University Colleges in Cambridge.

It is a tough tree, like its parent, and will thrive just about anywhere, but does not do well in exposed or coastal conditions. This tree is best suited to reasonably fertile and well drained soils but does not perform well on heavy clay or light sand and being a shallow rooted tree we do not recommend under-planting.

This super architectural tree is an absolute beauty, albeit with a rather ugly name! It is best suited to specimen planting in parks and large gardens and is a nice choice for avenue planting where rigid uniformity is required.

Although it is a narrow tree, the large eventual height for this specimen should be considered and thus it is not recommended for planting in very small gardens or areas where space is limited.

It is a great choice to compliment other trees of regular shape and is a welcome addition to planting schemes which require structure and consistency.

Why do some trees hold onto their dead leaves?

Mature height: 12-17m

Common names

Upright Beech, Dawyck Beech

Height of tree

12-17m

Soil type

Well drained, Chalk/Alkaline, Acidic

Shape

Pyramidal

Foliage Colour

Green

Looks good in

Summer

Location

Garden, Parkland, Avenue

Genus

Fagus