Scientific Name:
Fagus sylvatica
'Rohan Obelisk'
Pronunciation:
FAY-gus sil-VAT-ih-kuh
Common Name:
red obelisk beech
Family Name:
Fagaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Narrowly pyramidal small tree; leaves broadly elliptic, dark purple turning copper colour in fall. Winter ID: bark smooth, silver-grey, with a horizontal pattern (like an elephant's leg); buds narrowly conical, most 1-2.5cm long x 4-5mm wide, pointed, spear-like, divergent, reddish-brown with grey fuzz.
Habit:
Fastigiate, Stiffly upright, Twiggy
Form:
Pyramidal - narrowly
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
10 - 15m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Europe, Garden origin
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Fall interest, Shade tree, Small garden/space, Specimen plant, Spring interest, Summer interest, Tall background
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Purple, dark purple then copper colour in fall
Colour in Fall:
Red, Brown
Shapes:
Elliptic
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Pinnately lobed, Undulate (wavy)
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour
Inflorescence Type:
Catkin (ament)
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Green-yellow
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Additional Info:
Female flowers in pairs
Fruit Type:
Edible, Nut
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Accessory tissue, Edible, 3-angled nuts from compound ovary enclosed in prickly bracts that split open like a capsule
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Leaf Bud Type:
Narrowly conical
Leaf Scar Shape:
Half-round
Propagation:
Grafting
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
