Tricolor Beech

Tricolor beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Roseomarginata', also sold as 'Tricolor') is a deciduous ornamental cultivar of European beech prized for its dramatic variegated foliage: each purple leaf is irregularly margined in rose-pink and cream. It makes a slow-growing, elegant specimen tree.

It typically reaches 25-40 ft over many years, smaller than the full-size species. The delicate colored leaf margins can scorch in hot afternoon sun, so it performs best with some shade in warmer regions and with consistent moisture.

• Habit: Slow-growing, dense, upright-oval to pyramidal tree, 25-40 ft tall.
• Leaves: Oval, wavy-edged beech leaves, deep purple-green with irregular pink and creamy-white margins.
• Bark: Smooth, gray, typical of beech.
• Buds: Slender, pointed, cigar-shaped winter buds.
• Fruit: Small spiny husks (beechnuts) on mature trees, sparse on this cultivar.

Light: Full sun to partial shade; in hot climates give afternoon shade to prevent leaf scorch.

Water: Keep consistently moist, about weekly; beech dislikes both drought and waterlogging.

Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained soil; tolerates a range of pH but not compacted or wet sites.

Temperature: Hardy USDA zones 4-7.

Feeding: Light spring feeding; mulch to keep roots cool and protect shallow roots.

Pruning/Propagation: Minimal pruning. Propagated by grafting onto European beech rootstock.

The parent species, European beech, is native to the deciduous forests of central and western Europe, where it forms majestic shade-casting woodlands. 'Roseomarginata' is a horticultural selection, not a wild plant.

The cultivar is grown as an ornamental specimen across temperate North America and Europe in zones 4-7, typically as a single focal tree in lawns and parks.