Fagus sylvatica 'Rivers Purple' Tree

Fagus sylvatica 'Rivers Purple' is often considered the best purple Beech clone and has some of the darkest foliage of the Fagus family. The large leaves begin red and turn to a deep, almost black purple when planted in full sun. The foliage then turns bronze, red and gold in the autumn.

The tree itself is broadly spreading, reaching 10 x 6 metres in 20 years but can be kept smaller by pruning if desired. This stunning purple leaved Beech tree is tolerant of exposure and will grow in most soils except wet. Where the space is available,  'Rivers Purple' makes an astonishing grand looking feature.

AKA Fagus sylvatica 'Riversii' Rivers Purple beech, Dark Purple beech,

• Common name: Purple Beech 'Riversii' tree
• Awards: RHS Award of Garden Merit
• Height and spread in 20 years: 10 x 6 metres
• Foliage: Red in spring, black-purple in summer, golden-bronze in autumn
• Soil: Grows well in all but very wet soils
• Position: Full sun to part shade

Planting Advice for Fagus sylvatica Rivers Purple

Our pot grown Fagus sylvatica Riversii can be planted at any time of the year. To prepare the planting site, start by removing  all weeds and grass within a metre of your desired planting hole. Dig a hole as deep as the root mass and approximately 2x as wide. We recommend digging a square hole as this encourages the roots to grow straight as opposed to around inside the hole.

To help Beech trees establish effectively, sprinkle rootgrow into the planting hole especially if the soil is poor. Gently loosen the roots and place into the hole. Mix 50% of the original soil and 50% compost. Use this to fill in the hole and firm around gently, taking care not to bank it up around the collar of the tree. If your area is prone to rabbits, we advise using a rabbit guard. Finally, add a stake and tie - to see how visit the help and advice section.

Aftercare of Fagus sylvatica Rivers Purple

If you’re planting Purple Beech in spring, summer or dry weather, water well and regularly for the first few months. Increase watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather. If you’re planting in autumn, you may not need to water them as much. Beech trees have shallow roots so applying a mulch will help to lock in moisture. We also stock a range of irrigation kits to aid watering.

Once planted, keep the area free of competing weeds and grass for the first few growing seasons. Installing mulch matting and bark chips will aid in this. Do not simply mow the grass as this will encourage it to grow more vigorously.

Pruning Advice for Fagus sylvatica Rivers Purple

Beech trees do not require much pruning. Remove damaged or diseased branches and take care to maintain an even framework - step back and assess your work. It is best to prune when the tree is in leaf or just after leaf fall to prevent bleeding, which although it is not detrimental, can look unsightly.

Covid-19: We're pleased to announce that we are back up and running in line with government advice. We have a bit of a backlog of orders and are catching up as we write. Please expect a slightly longer lead time of around 2 – 3 weeks (excludes pre-order and mature trees). Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Delivery Costs

1 small tree (most trees under 1.5 metres in height) : £7.95 + vat

1 medium tree (most trees 1.5-2 metres in height) or 2-4 small trees: £9.95 + vat

2+ medium trees or 5+ small trees: £12.95 + vat

1-4 trees delivered by pallet (inc. mature Japanese Maples): £19.95 + vat

The above prices exclude the Scottish Highlands, where delivery starts from £24.95 + vat and is calculated in the checkout process.

Mature and pleached trees or orders too large for pallet: Cost is calculated in the checkout process and varies by postcode rather than quantity (starts from £48 + vat).

Northern Ireland and Non Mainland UK

Our courier charges are not viable for just one or two trees, but if you have a larger requirement then please do speak to us to see if we can find a solution.

Delivery Timescales

All trees are carefully packed by our experienced team and most are delivered within 10 days of placing the order. There's no need to be in to receive your order and you can request where it is left via the checkout.

There is a slightly longer timescale on pleached and mature trees (trees over 2.5m in height) because we group orders together for specialist delivery - we will contact these customers to notify them of the delivery date.

Trees on pre-order are still growing and an estimate of when they will be ready is given on the basket page. Orders will be despatched when all trees are ready.

Gift trees and those required by a specific date can be accommodated with pleasure, although we accept no legal responsibility for late deliveries.

Our nursery is a busy despatch centre, so please make an appointment to collect or view trees.  For collections, despatch charges will be refunded.

The product table at the bottom of the page gives the forms and sizes available for this variety. Please note, photos are a guideline as all plants are unique. Below are definitions of terms:

Supplied Size: Height measured from the top of the pot.

Single Stem / Pruned and shaped: Classic shaped tree with a single stem that has had pruning to help create a beautiful, natural shape.

Top grafted: A height noted next to this form refers to the length of clear stem, which will not grow taller. Only the head of branches will develop. Top grafted trees do not require complicated pruning and are ideal for small spaces.

Feathered: A feathered tree has branches from the bottom of the trunk all the way up. These branches can be removed if a clear stem is required.

Multi Stem: A multi stem tree has two or more stems arising from or near ground level, growing from one root system.

Bush: A plant with many stems low down, rather than one clear stem.

Clump: Several plants in one pot that can give the appearance of a multi stemmed and very bushy tree.

Climber: A plant that is a natural climber and will be delivered usually running up a bamboo cane, ready to position in the garden.

Standard Tree: A more mature tree with an upright clear stem of approximately 1.8m-2.0m (measured from the soil to the lowest branches of the crown). Standards are available in different forms relating to their girth size (circumference of the stem measured 1m above soil level), not height:

Standard  either 6-10cm or 8-10cm girth, approximately 2.5-3.0m in height
Premium Standard  10-12cm girth, approximately 3.0-3.5m in height
Heavy Standard  12-14cm girth, approximately 3.5-4.5m in height
Extra Heavy Standard 14-16cm girth approximately 4.0-6m in height