A closeup of a branch belonging to the Red Obelisk Beech showing the deep purple and green oval-shaped foliage.

Red Obelisk Beech

Bower & Branch Trees and Plants

Fagus sylvatica 'Red Obelisk'

Regular price
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This plant is not available at this time through Bower & Branch. We provide this plant profile for reference only.

See below for alternative selections for purchase and inspiration!

UPRIGHT AND COLUMNAR BEECH TREE WITH STRIKING RED-PURPLE FOLIAGE

FEATURES: 

  • Oval-shaped foliage emerges a deep red color that intensifies as the summer progresses
  • By fall, hues of copper and bronze take over
  • Foliage tends to hold on in winter, contrasting with the bright silver bark and 
  • Narrow growth habit and upright branching creates a tower-like silhouette
  • Commonly used as a specimen tree, as an accent plant in landscapes, or as a unique and vibrant privacy hedge option
  • Low maintenance and moderately deer resistant
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Growth Facts

  • Hardiness Zone: 4-7
  • Mature Height: 40-50' tall
  • Mature Width: 5-10' wide
  • Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
  • Spacing: 5-10' apart

Why plant Red Obelisk Beech?

With its striking upright habit, powerful presence, and deep burgundy foliage, the Red Obelisk European Beech will provide a strong anchor to any of the landscape beds around your home. Its columnar shape makes the perfect contrast to rounded or wide-spreading trees and shrubs, contributing to the diversity of form that will help make your garden look interesting all year-round. Naturally maintaining a spire-like form throughout its life, the noble Red Obelisk European Beech can be utilized on small properties as well as on large ones. Just make sure there are no obstructions overhead—this tree can grow to a height of 50 feet! This just may be the tall, dark, and handsome specimen your landscape has been dreaming of!

Red Obelisk Beech is a form of European Beech that originated at Trompenburg Arboretum in the Netherlands in the 1970s. It’s the love child of a green columnar Beech named ‘Dawyck’ and a red-leaved Beech called ‘Rohanii.’ The former director at Trompenburg, the late Dick Hoey Smith, chose this handsome tree from a crop of seedlings he grew in 1969 from Beech nuts he gathered from a Dawyck Beech growing in the arboretum. Of the 100 seeds he sowed, Red Obelisk was one of only four trees that exhibited both the purple leaves and the columnar habit of the two parents.

How to use Red Obelisk Beech in the landscape?

Plant Red Obelisk at the corners of your house to frame your home and add curb appeal or plant a row of these long-lived trees along your property line to create a sensational seasonal privacy screen for posterity.

Planting Zones

Hardiness Zone: 4-7

How To Plant Red Obelisk Beech

Give Red Obelisk Beech a home in full sun to bring out the deepest purple-red color in its foliage. In hot summer weather, the color may fade a bit to a bronzy green. Beeches don’t like soggy soil, so good drainage is a must, and regular irrigation is important during the first few years of establishment. Once it’s settled in, Red Obelisk will be somewhat drought tolerant. Mulch your tree well and keep under-plantings to a minimum, as this tree—like other Beeches—is shallow-rooted. There are no major pests or diseases associated with this stellar low-maintenance tree.

How To Water

Immediately after planting, give your new Red Obelisk Beech a deep and thorough watering. You should water every three to four days slowly and thoroughly for the first growing season.

How To Fertilize

When planting, mis the Bower & Branch Starter Plant Food into the hole, surrounding the rootball with the fertilizer. For ongoing care, you should fertilize each spring and fall for the first three years.

How To Prune

Due to its slow growth habit and columnar upright growth, pruning may not be needed. If you prefer to keep it more uniform, you should prune when the tree is dormant, ideally late winter to early spring.

How Does Shipping Work?

Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.

*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.

Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.

Shipping Delays:

From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.

How Does Sizing Work?

The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)

Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.

All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!

See the size guides below.

How Trees are Shipped
Size 4XL D Trees Size 3XL C Trees Size 2XL B Trees Size XL A Trees Size LARGE AA Trees

Our Guarantees

3-YEAR-TREE GUARANTEE:

Bower & Branch offers a Three-Year Tree Guarantee on all of our trees, sizes X-Large and up. Only the finest and the most experienced growers are awarded the opportunity to grow for Bower & Branch, so we offer the best guarantee available.

If your tree(s) should fail for any reason during the three-year guarantee period, you will receive an online gift card in the amount that you originally spent on the tree.* You can then use this online gift card for any Bower & Branch Purchase.

* Bower & Branch provides online gift cards in the amount of the original purchase price of the tree(s). The amount does not include any additional costs such as delivery, planting, tax, or any other products or services. Online gift cards can be applied towards any Bower & Branch purchase on BowerandBranch.com and have no expiration dates. Bower & Branch does not guarantee tree replacement or availability of any desired product at any time. Cash refunds are not offered. Bower & Branch requires that all original tags and receipts are present when a guarantee request is initiated. The Bower & Branch Three-Year Guarantee only applies to plant material that has been planted in the ground. Container plantings are NOT covered.

At Bower & Branch, we do our best to honor all guarantee fulfillment requests to ensure customer satisfaction. However, we reserve the right to refuse the request if the required guarantee steps were not satisfied. Bower & Branch also reserves the right to deny any guarantee fulfillment request that is made as a result of animal damage, problems with plant hardiness and zone issues, or acts of nature (snow storms, hurricanes, and similar).

 

Reach out to a Plant Whisperer with any questions:

- Email: plantwhisperers@bowerandbranch.com

- Phone: 866-873-3888

- Or via Online Chat


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