Beeches: Drooping Tri color beech leaves

Discussion in 'Fagaceae (beeches, oaks, etc.)' started by lotastuff, May 4, 2009.

  1. lotastuff

    lotastuff Member

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    I just planted my tri color beech tree in mid March of this year. I live in Ohio and the leaves have just opened. I have noticed that most branch tips of leaves are in a drooped state and then I water with a big pail of water. They perk up after that but then the next day or so they are drooped again. Have also had a lot of rain and not sure if I am over or under watering. What may be the cause of the drooping leaves.
    Don't want to lose the tree due to in-experience.
    Thanks
     
  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Fresh beech leaves in spring are always drooping, that's normal.
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    If consistently becoming more erect after watering check soil moisture inside root ball. If grown in fine-textured field soil this may have become dry inside, not taking up additional moisture from outside.

    If grown in coarse potting soil this may have been losing water to finer textured planting hole backfill after planting, the finer textured soil having a greater attraction for water.
     
  4. lotastuff

    lotastuff Member

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    I thank both repliers very much. I will observe regarding the perking up.
    How often and how much water is neccessary for this newly planted tree?
    I had wanted a Tri Color Beech for quite a few years before getting this one and sure want to give it the right treatment.
    Thanks again
     
  5. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Need for watering varies with specific circumstances, impossible to say without being on site. Hot weather will call for more frequent watering than cool, and so on. You have to observe on your own how long it is staying moist at any given time and how often you have to water to keep it moist.

    On a different subject the commonly sold pink, purple (becoming bronze) and white tricolor beech is 'Purpurea Tricolor' ('Roseomarginata'). If ever wanting to look it up use that name. Pink, green and white 'Tricolor' is so rare it may be extinct.
     
  6. lotastuff

    lotastuff Member

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    Thank you for the education on my tree.
    I will now refer to my tree as Roseomarginata because I am sure that I do not have such a rare tree. My leaves are green edged in deep pink without any white.....so far anyway.
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    By "that name" I meant 'Purpurea Tricolor'. There is a convention that when a plant name is listed in parentheses after another it indicates the second name is a synonym.

    Although B. Fincham appears here to to indicate a preference for 'Roseomarginata' he nevertheless presents that name as a synonym of 'Purpurea Tricolor'.

    http://www.coenosium.com/text800/fagus_sylvatica.htm
     
  8. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    From W J Bean, Trees & Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles:
    'Purpurea Tricolor' . . . is said to have come to notice almost simultaneously in France and Holland, and to have been first propagated in quantity by Transon's nursery, Orleans, who first exhibited it in 1885 (Rev. Hort. Belg. 12: 145). A similar or perhaps identical beech was exhibited by Messrs. Cripps in 1888 as F. s. roseomarginata and was awarded a First Class Certificate.
    So (assuming they are the same as each other) 'Purpurea Tricolor' is the correct name, with 3 years' priority.
     

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