weeping beech
{{Short description|Cultured variety of the deciduous European Beech}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Weeping beech
| image = Weepingbeech.RI.JPG
| image_caption = Weeping beech, Chateau-sur-Mer, Newport, Rhode Island
| species = Fagus sylvatica
| group = Pendula Group
| origin =
}}
The weeping beech, Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula', is a cultivar of the deciduous European beech.[http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=245712&isprofile=1&basic=European%20Beech Missouri Botanical Garden. Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula'.] Retrieved 27 October 2020 The original tree was found in the grounds of an English park, and it has been propagated by grafting, then many distributed widely.Orange Judd (Editor) {{google books|zB3nAAAAMAAJ|American Agriculturist, Volume 22 (1863)|page=272}}
Physical description
The weeping beech is characterized by its shape with sweeping, pendulous branches. The trunk of the tree may not be visible from a distance due to the presence of the covering "weeping" branches. Branches may reach the ground and start new roots again. Smaller than the common beech, the tree can reach a height of up to {{convert|25|m}} and tends to be wider than high.{{cite web | url=http://www.stihl.com/792.aspx?idTree=41 |title=Stihl Encyclopedia of Trees: Weeping Beech | accessdate=September 22, 2013}}
Leaves of the weeping beech are broad, flat, simple and not lobed. They have smooth margins and alternate. They typically measure {{convert|5|-|10|cm}} in length. Flowers appear in the spring and are inconspicuous.{{cite web | url=http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/FAGSYLD.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808172912/http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/FAGSYLD.pdf | url-status=dead | archive-date=August 8, 2016 | title=Fagus sylvatica pendula, European Weeping Beech | vauthors=Gilman EF, Watson DG | year=1993 | accessdate=December 1, 2009}}
The beechnuts sit in a thin spiny husk and are less than 5 cm in diameter.{{cite web | url=http://www.ilearnindiana.net/tree/fact%20pages/beech_weeping/beech_weeping.html | title=Weeping Beech| author=Ohio Public Library Information Network | accessdate=December 1, 2009 }} The triangular beech nuts are popular in autumn with birds, mice and squirrels.{{Citation needed|date = July 2016}}
The green leaves become copper-toned in the fall. In winter the skeleton of the silvery stem with its branches remains attractive.{{Citation needed|date = July 2016}} The purple pigment in the leaves acts like a sunscreen to protect its new leaves, which is particularly important for plants that grow at high altitudes where the sun is fierce.
Habitat and maintenance
File:Weeping Beech Tree, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI - August 2015.jpg
The tree is not native to North America but grows in USDA hardiness zones 4–7.
It needs moisture and well drained soil and prefers sunny to semi-shaded zones. The tree does not tolerate industrial pollution or street salt.{{Citation needed|date = March 2018}}
Young trees need to be staked to make them grow upward; growth tends to be slow. Weeping beeches may live for 150 to 200 years.{{Citation needed|date = July 2016}}
Pests that can attack the tree includes aphids, borers (flat-headed apple tree borer, two-lined chestnut borer), certain caterpillars, and fungal disease.