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Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length
  • Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length
  • Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length
  • Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length
  • Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length
  • Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length
Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Instant Hedging

Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

£360.00
Select Instant Hedging Height

AT A GLANCE

A UK native hedge with excellent year-round screening. Copper Beech produces deep purple foliage in spring and summer, turning warm copper in autumn and winter. Many leaves stay on the branches through the colder months, helping maintain strong privacy and structure in every season.

  • UK Native
  • Full Sun
  • Partial Shade
  • Deciduous
FREE Delivery

Enjoy FREE mainland UK pallet delivery on all our instant hedging. Orders are typically dispatched and delivered within 30 working days of purchase. 

Your plants arrive securely wrapped on pallets, ensuring they stay protected and ready for planting. Deliveries are curbside only and require solid access for an 18-tonne lorry and pump truck.

For properties with restricted access or locations outside our standard delivery network, contact our team for tailored delivery advice and a personalised quote.


Read our Delivery Policy for full details.
Planting

We offer an optional professional planting service for customers who’d like our team to take care of the complete installation. Please note this is an add-on only service and must be purchased with our instant hedging.

 Our standard planting package starts at £1,500, which includes the planting of up to 18 instant hedging units (1 m each). To learn more about preparing for your planting day or to add our professional service to your order, visit our Professional Planting product page and visit our Terms of Service.

 If you’d rather plant your hedge yourself, we’ve created a DIY Planting Guide with step-by-step advice on site preparation, positioning the units, and helping your new hedge establish successfully.
Size & Handling

Each instant hedging unit is a mature, ready-grown hedge section designed to provide instant privacy and structure from the moment it’s planted. Supplied in convenient 100cm lengths, every section arrives pre-clipped, approximately 40cm deep, and grown to your chosen height for a finished, professional look straight away.

Your hedge will be delivered in strong cardboard troughs, measuring around 30–40cm wide and 35cm deep, with pre-cut lifting points for use with lifting hooks or or careful two-to-four-person handling.

These are substantial, field-grown hedge units, and proper handling is essential. Each section typically weighs between 100–200kg (and occasionally more), so please ensure suitable help or mechanical equipment is available to move and position your hedging safely and efficiently on site at the point of delivery.
Why Choose Instant Hedging

Each instant hedging module is made from 3–5 mature plants per linear metre, carefully grown together over several years to form a dense, seamless living screen. From the moment it’s planted, your hedge provides instant privacy, structure, and an established look that feels like it’s been part of your garden for years.

Unlike buying individual plants that need time to fill out, often leaving gaps and uneven growth, our instant hedging gives you a complete, uniform hedge straight away. There’s no need to measure planting distances, worry about spacing, or wait years for coverage.

Every section is professionally grown, pre-clipped, and evenly spaced, ensuring a consistent height and clean, finished face from day one. Simply choose your desired height and measure the metres you need. It’s that easy to transform your outdoor space with a ready-made, mature hedge.

SAVE 5%

WHEN YOU BUY 5+ METERS

SAVE 10%

WHEN YOU BUY 10+ METERS

SAVE 15%

WHEN YOU BUY 25+ METERS

SAVE 20%

WHEN YOU BUY 50+ METERS

SAVE 25%

WHEN YOU BUY 100+ METERS

Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Copper Beech is a great option for anyone wanting a hedge that looks impressive in every season. Native to the UK, it forms a strong, tidy screen that offers reliable privacy throughout the year. Its deep purple summer leaves turn warm copper in winter and many stay on the branches, helping keep gardens sheltered even in the colder months. It also supports local wildlife by providing valuable cover and nesting opportunities for birds. A Copper Beech hedge combines colour, character, and long-lasting structure in one simple choice.
GROWTH & MAINTENANCE OF Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Copper Beech is capable of reaching well over 10 m in height if left untrimmed for many years. For easy long-term care and a more manageable garden hedge, we recommend maintaining a final height of 2–4 m. At this size, trimming is straightforward, access remains safe, and the hedge develops a neat, dense finish.
You can still tailor the height to suit your project:
• Keep at the supplied height with regular trimming for a tidy screen
• Allow it to grow taller where space allows — just plan for increased trimming effort over time
To help keep foliage from top to bottom, shape the hedge with a slightly wider base than the top. This allows light to reach all levels of the hedge and helps prevent bare patches forming lower down.
Planting Position & Access

Copper Beech can be planted close to walls, fences, property boundaries, and existing hedging. It tolerates a range of light levels, from full sun to partial shade. For ease of maintenance, it’s best to allow 0.5–1 m of access on both sides if possible. This makes it much easier to trim evenly and keep the hedge thick and healthy over time.
Spacing & Interaction with other plants

Allow Copper Beech enough space to develop its roots and branch structure properly:
• Supportive planting: Smaller shrubs and groundcovers can benefit from the shelter Beech provides
• Avoid tight competition: Large trees planted too close may compete for moisture and light, slowing development
Providing sufficient space above and below ground will help your Copper Beech hedge stay strong, dense, and looking impressive for decades.

Watering Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Watering is the single most important job when establishing copper beech hedging, which benefits from steady moisture and good drainage to protect those bronze leaves from scorch. In production they’re watered little and often; in the landscape they prefer slow, deep soaks that penetrate the full root zone. Check the top few centimetres—water when dry, pause when damp. Clay sites hold water longer, sandy sites shed it quickly, and sunny aspects increase demand, so adjust accordingly. Keep drainage open and maintain a tidy mulch collar off the stems. Water early with a gentle trickle and avoid late leaf wetting. For the first 12–24 months aim for consistent moisture in the growing months with only occasional winter top-ups; once established, water chiefly in extended dry periods.
Early establishment phase

In the first 12-24 months, during the warmer growing months keep soil evenly moist on free-draining ground—water before the top few cm fully dry, mulch, and avoid waterlogging, and in the dormant months give occasional water only in extended dry spells when the ground isn’t frozen; keep mulch in place and the pit freely draining.
How to notice under-watering

In order to notice under watering, look out for copper leaves turning papery at the edges, early leaf shed, and reduced new shoot length.
How to notice over-watering

In order to notice over watering, look out for copper leaves dulling to muddy bronze, lower-leaf yellowing with soggy soil, and a musty root smell.
3+ Years after planting

Once established (after 2–3 years), water deeply during extended drought to prevent leaf-edge scorch; maintain mulch and good drainage.

feeding Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

AT PLANTING

Incorporate a balanced slow-release fertiliser or root-stimulating granules into the planting area (following manufacturer instructions) so your hedge gets a strong start.

YEARLY FEEDS

Apply a general-purpose, slow-release fertiliser in early spring (March/April) so the hedge has nutrients as growth starts. In later spring you can consider a light feed if growth appears weak or colour is faded.

FOLLOW CAUTION

Avoid excessive high-nitrogen feeds in summer, you don’t want rampant, weak growth that flops. For hedges, steady, controlled growth is far better than fast, floppy shoots.

TRIMMING Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

How and when to trim

Trim in late summer once the new copper leaves have matured and the hedge has reached its season’s height. Use sharp shears to remove soft new growth and encourage a thick, even structure. Avoid heavy cuts into old wood or trimming during heatwaves or frost.
QUICK TIPS

Technique for the perfect Copper Beech hedge:
• Shape the hedge so the base is very slightly wider than the top — this lets light reach the lower branches to avoid bare patches.
• Trim growing tips evenly along the face of the hedge to maintain density and a crisp, formal line.
• Frequent light trims are better than occasional heavy cuts. This promotes strong lateral growth and keeps the hedge neat.
• Always use sharp cutting tools for clean cuts that heal quickly.
• Maintain access on both sides so you can reach the full height and avoid uneven trimming over time.
HARD CUT BACK AND REDUCTION

Larger reductions in width or height can be done, but only in stages and once the hedge is well-established. Copper Beech can regenerate from older wood, but it takes time — gradual reshaping and patience will give the best long-term results.
A closer look at Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Originating from a natural mutation of Green Beech first noted in 18th-century Germany, Copper Beech quickly became a symbol of prestige in European gardens and estates. Its deep, purple-bronze foliage provides a dramatic alternative to green hedging, offering contrast and sophistication without sacrificing density or resilience. In Britain, it remains a heritage choice for stately homes and formal landscapes, combining ornamental richness with the same hardy structure as its green relative.
Plants that pair well with Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Copper Beech’s rich bronze foliage makes a stunning foil for pale and silver-toned planting. Pair it with Lavender, Nepeta, or Salvia for cool contrast, or with ornamental grasses like Stipa tenuissima to soften its bold tone. Underplanting with Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’ or Euphorbia characias wulfenii creates striking visual depth through colour opposition. Its dramatic backdrop enhances pale stonework, clipped topiary, and flowering trees such as Amelanchier or Crab Apple, ensuring year-round harmony in both formal and relaxed garden settings.
Latin name and origins of Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Botanically, Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ denotes a purple-leaved form of the common beech, with purpurea simply meaning “purple.” This colour mutation, first observed in Germany in the late 1700s, introduced striking bronze and violet tones to the traditional beech form. Within the Fagus genus, this genetic variation mirrors similar pigment shifts seen in cultivars like Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea’ and ‘Dawyck Purple’, where increased anthocyanins lend deep hues and enhanced sun tolerance. The resulting hedge not only provides density and elegance but also a rich colour contrast that enhances both formal and modern garden designs.

Wildlife Friends of Copper Beech | Fagus Sylvatica Atropunicea | 1m Instant Hedging Length

Copper Beech offers the same ecological benefits as its green cousin but adds year-round visual drama to wildlife-friendly landscapes. Its dense canopy and marcescent leaves provide reliable cover and nesting sites for birds, while its nuts attract finches, squirrels, and other small animals. Beneath, the leaf litter enriches soil life, nurturing fungi, beetles, and pollinating insects. This bold hedge supports biodiversity in style, blending ornamental value with natural purpose.
Tips for encouraging wildlife in your hedge

In the first 12-24 months, during the warmer growing months keep soil evenly moist on free-draining ground—water before the top few cm fully dry, mulch, and avoid waterlogging, and in the dormant months give occasional water only in extended dry spells when the ground isn’t frozen; keep mulch in place and the pit freely draining.
Toxicity Notes

Copper Beech shares the same mild toxicity profile as Green Beech, with its nuts and young shoots containing small quantities of faginine and tannins. These compounds can cause gastrointestinal irritation in pets if eaten in volume but rarely pose serious danger. The hedge remains perfectly safe for garden use, and wildlife has long adapted to feeding selectively on the mast. Its striking foliage does not release any harmful sap or allergens on contact, making it a safe, long-lived feature in both ornamental and natural environments.
Foliage

The foliage on Copper Beech hedging plants is richly pigmented with anthocyanins, deepening to bronze-purple and forming a dense, light-absorbing screen that calms windy sites. Despite the colour shift, it supports similar invertebrates to green beech, including the larvae of Stauropus fagi and Cyclophora puppillaria (blair’s mocha), which feed insectivorous birds such as Sylvia atricapilla (blackcap). Persistent copper leaves hold through winter to shelter small passerines, while the leaf litter’s tannins slow decay, building a spongy layer that harbours earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) and offers safe passage for hedgehogs.
Fruits

The fruits on Copper Beech hedging plants develop in the same way as those on Green Beech, with prickly husks containing two to three glossy brown nuts that ripen between September and November. These nutrient-dense seeds are consumed by woodland mammals like Sciurus carolinensis and birds such as Garrulus glandarius, while the fallen husks enrich the soil with organic carbon and tannins, supporting earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) and mycorrhizal fungi. Even the deep bronze leaf litter beneath provides microhabitats for ground beetles (Carabidae) and centipedes (Chilopoda), showing that the legacy of Beech fruiting extends from canopy to soil, feeding entire woodland food chains.
Flowers

The flowers on Copper Beech hedging plants mirror those of Green Beech, appearing in April and May as soft catkins that are pollinated by wind. Though small and unassuming, they lead to the development of triangular nuts encased in spiny husks, which are an important food source for woodland mammals and birds. The rich, dark foliage of Copper Beech provides essential cover for nesting birds and an abundant feeding ground for caterpillars of Stauropus fagi (the lobster moth) and other Lepidoptera. Best flowering occurs in warm, settled springs where the soil is moist but well-drained, and the hedge receives ample sunlight to strengthen its seasonal growth.

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