Fagus sylvatica Felderbach

Fagus sylvatica 'Felderbach' is a rare miniature variety of beech tree that has a strong presence due to its natural bonsai-like appearance. This small tree has an almost columnar habit and dense branching, with very small, shiny, dark green leaves that turn bronze to brown in autumn. It is a variety with undeniable sculptural appeal, ideal for planting as a specimen or in a container on a terrace.

The Common Beech, known in Latin as Fagus sylvatica, is an imposing tree. Its cylindrical trunk is covered with smooth, light grey bark. This tree can live for several centuries. Native to central Europe to the Caucasus, it is one of the most common tree species in European forests, reaching a height of 20m at maturity. Its reddish wood is used in cabinetmaking and for the production of wooden tools, toys, and firewood. It belongs to the Fagaceae family.
Fagus sylvatica 'Felderbach' is a horticultural selection of this species. It is a very slow-growing tree that forms a wide column. Its dimensions reach about 3m in height and 2m in width at the age of 15-20 years. With its dense branching, its natural shape can be enhanced by appropriate pruning, and it can even be trained as a bonsai. It is also distinguished by its highly ornamental foliage. Measuring only 2 to 3cm long, its leaves are oval-shaped with toothed edges. They are a shiny dark green from spring to summer. The leaf blades have prominent veins. In autumn, the foliage turns bronze before browning and remains on the branches for a long time before falling to the ground.
Hardy down to -25°C, the 'Felderbach' beech tree appreciates humus-rich and moist soil and dislikes heat and drought.

Due to its small size and architectural appeal, Fagus sylvatica 'Felderbach' allows gardeners with smaller plots of land to enjoy the natural majesty of this beautiful forest tree. Attractive from spring to late season, it is ideal as a specimen tree or in a shrub bed. It can be planted alongside a Dwarf Birch (Betula nana), a ground-cover shrub with foliage that takes on magnificent red-orange tones in autumn, Chamaecyparis obtusa Nana Aurea with unusual evergreen foliage, or Mahonia Soft Caress with fern-like leaves and autumn yellow flowers. White-flowering spiraeas can also be planted alongside to bring the scene to life from early spring.