Fagus sylvatica Purperea Pendula

[Cruiser]

Anyone here growing dwarf weeping purple beech? Or know of someone with developed trees?

I haven’t been able to find any examples of “finished” trees. I have two and Am looking for styling ideas. They’re about 2’ tall with 2-3” trunks.

 

[0soyoung]

I've got no answers for you, just more questions.

The nebari sucks, in my estimation. There are radical/risky approaches to this such as a layer low on the trunk, hoping to get roots all around. Then there are more conservative ones like nipping away at that really big and ugly one as well as a few others via several years of annual repotting. Do you like the nebari as it is? Maybe you think it is not so bad or you've got ideas of making it a feature = like a pug, so ugly it is cute (not that there is anything wrong with that, I love pugs).

There's an ugly scar about 1/3rd of the way up from the ground. Are you thinking this will be an uro and a feature of the bonsai composition? If so, you'll want the foliage to be low and positioned to 'frame' it, or to focus that viewer's attention on it. To make this happen you'll need some longer descending branches AND you'll want the nebari to be A+ since it won't be that far below the uro.

Alternatively, just pick a front so this uro-thingy isn't seen, which would seem to be something like your first photo. OMG, that nebari is literally butt-ugly and not something I would like to exhibit. The trunk also has nearly no movement and no taper at all in this view. Do you know if you can make buds pop lower on the trunk or whether you can grow branches long enough to make thread grafts down lower? Buds would be best, but thread grafting is also good. That thing just needs some lower branches!!! At roughly 50% (plus a little or minus some) the present trunk height you'd have the beginnings for a great broom or naturalistic tree of reasonable bonsai proportions, IMHO.

 

[Cruiser]

I've got no answers for you, just more questions.

The nebari sucks, in my estimation. There are radical/risky approaches to this such as a layer low on the trunk, hoping to get roots all around. Then there are more conservative ones like nipping away at that really big and ugly one as well as a few others via several years of annual repotting. Do you like the nebari as it is? Maybe you think it is not so bad or you've got ideas of making it a feature = like a pug, so ugly it is cute (not that there is anything wrong with that, I love pugs).

There's an ugly scar about 1/3rd of the way up from the ground. Are you thinking this will be an uro and a feature of the bonsai composition? If so, you'll want the foliage to be low and positioned to 'frame' it, or to focus that viewer's attention on it. To make this happen you'll need some longer descending branches AND you'll want the nebari to be A+ since it won't be that far below the uro.

Alternatively, just pick a front so this uro-thingy isn't seen, which would seem to be something like your first photo. OMG, that nebari is literally butt-ugly and not something I would like to exhibit. The trunk also has nearly no movement and no taper at all in this view. Do you know if you can make buds pop lower on the trunk or whether you can grow branches long enough to make thread grafts down lower? Buds would be best, but thread grafting is also good. That thing just needs some lower branches!!! At roughly 50% (plus a little or minus some) the present trunk height you'd have the beginnings for a great broom or naturalistic tree of reasonable bonsai proportions, IMHO.

Thanks. Lots of ideas here.
There’s actually two trees in these photos. One has a root jutting to the left. I’m just letting that one do it’s thing and will evaluate come winter.

The other tree pictured with the pen is one that I’ve been working on. I’m planning to keep the nebari and picked an interesting trunk line through the mess of leaves and branches (you just can’t see it yet). The trunk is not as straight as the pictures let on and has some unusual movement within the canopy.
The scar is sort of heart-shaped. I considered a uro but wonder if it would be possible to enhance the heart shape, carve in some tiny initials and make it into some sort of romantic arborglyph?
I hedge pruned the tree back in early June to try and get some back budding further down the trunk. There hasn’t been much so I may give it another trim end of July.

These are unusual trees with a fair bit of reverse taper and odd branching habits. Ive been told they aren’t “workable”, but perfection isn’t my goal. Ultimately I’d like to embrace the idiosyncrasies and create something weird but beautiful.

 

[0soyoung]

Oops! You did say

I have two

and I obviously overlooked it - they are quite similar (at least that is my story and I'm sticking to it

Ultimately I’d like to embrace the idiosyncrasies and create something weird but beautiful.

 

[BobbyLane]

'I haven’t been able to find any examples of “finished” trees. I have two and Am looking for styling ideas'

if you google fagus pendula, there are loads of wild tree examples

 

[RoadManDenDron]

sorry no answers and just another question please don't take this as advice I just wonder if it would work as I have a similar situation on a different tree (with a much smaller gap)

The nebari on the second one (with the pen) the base looks quite flared and I was wondering if that gap between roots could be encouraged to fill possibly by scarring or something?

 

[Cruiser]

sorry no answers and just another question please don't take this as advice I just wonder if it would work as I have a similar situation on a different tree (with a much smaller gap)

The nebari on the second one (with the pen) the base looks quite flared and I was wondering if that gap between roots could be encouraged to fill possibly by scarring or something?

I’m not sure. It would probably improve the look of the nebari.

 

[Cruiser]

'I haven’t been able to find any examples of “finished” trees. I have two and Am looking for styling ideas'

if you google fagus pendula, there are loads of wild tree examples

I was hoping to see a bonsai example of this type of beech in particular (just to know it can be done). It has peculiar growth habits with no natural leaders and only gets a few feet tall.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Consider change of planting angle to bring unseen roots to surface and submerge more visible ones. Also could thread graft seedlings for new roots or both of above.
Personal European Beech has same root problem. Next season(Spring 2022)plan is to do one or both of these.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

sorry no answers and just another question please don't take this as advice I just wonder if it would work as I have a similar situation on a different tree (with a much smaller gap)

The nebari on the second one (with the pen) the base looks quite flared and I was wondering if that gap between roots could be encouraged to fill possibly by scarring or something?

There are ways, like scarring and adding rooting hormone, then covering it with moss and hoping roots will grow. Root grafts are possible as wel: take a few cuttings, cut out a wedge of the base, push the seedling in, let grow until they merge and then remove the trunk of the seedling, leaving only the roots.

My 2 cents for this thread:
Weeping trees work well if they're tall. Look at Mirai and some of their weeping trees, some of them are at least hitting shoulder height. I think that's a key factor in weeping trees, especially because you can get the foliage smaller with relative ease, but I'm not sure if the branch thickness would scale down as good/well as the foliage would. Weeping birches and willows could offer some good reference points for designs.

 

[Cruiser]

6-22-22 update

Both trees are vigorous this year. 12”-16” of growth in some places.
Unfortunately neither has pushed new buds further down on the trunks.

To encourage back budding I decided to partially defoliate one of the trees. A bonsai4me article was used for guidance.

http://bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Beechadvancedpruning.htm

Most interior foliage was removed but leaves on the ends of branches were left. Some large remaining leaves were partially cut.

Starting out, it was a slow process. I tip-toed around the tiny buds, methodically cutting off each leaf at its stem. But eventually, I grew impatient and just started ripping leaves off by hand. Like some absent-minded gorilla. An estimated 90% of foliage was removed.

Defoliating was a good opportunity to address the woolly aphids that seem to love these trees. Last year I managed them with neem oil and squashing. But this year I was away from the trees for almost all of spring. So there were a lot.
The partially defoliated beech is now aphid free, but the other is still colonized and needs addressing..

 

[Cruiser]

7/4/24
Trimmed new growth. Opened up canopy. Carved trunk.



Due for a repot Spring 2025.

 

[Cruiser]

The other tree.

 

[Paradox]

You're going to have to do something to preserve the deadwood or it will rot.

As I'm sure you're aware but saying for others that might not know: beech don't have the resins that pine and juniper so deadwood will rot faster

 

[Cruiser]

Rot and hollows are the intention

These trees will never be pretty. Instead of trying to fix the flaws/oddities, the goal is to add to them to make the ugliness more complete.

 

[rusticana]

7/4/24
Trimmed new growth. Opened up canopy. Carved trunk.
View attachment 556309
View attachment 556313

Due for a repot Spring 2025.

Did you slice that up from the branch scar. I think it will look realy cool once the scar rolls over. I have a feature like this on one of my trees. A smaller tree a dwarf pomegranate. Years ago it had a brancch or alternatiive trunk sort of fused to the tree. Then I peeled back a bit. I like it.

7/4/24
Trimmed new growth. Opened up canopy. Carved trunk.
View attachment 556309
View attachment 556313

Due for a repot Spring 2025.

dID YOU SLICE IT UP FROM THAT LOW BRANCH SCAR

7/4/24
Trimmed new growth. Opened up canopy. Carved trunk.
View attachment 556309
View attachment 556313

Due for a repot Spring 2025.

I think This'll look great once once the wound rolls over. Heres mine on my dwarf pomegranate. Wasnn't deliberate. it had an alternative trunk that died sort of fused to the trunk. Then I peeled it back. My beeches are sort of lame at their stage. Complements of the squirrels as volunteers in the garden.

 

[Cruiser]

Did you slice that up from the branch scar. I think it will look realy cool once the scar rolls over. I have a feature like this on one of my trees. A smaller tree a dwarf pomegranate. Years ago it had a brancch or alternatiive trunk sort of fused to the tree. Then I peeled back a bit. I like it.

dID YOU SLICE IT UP FROM THAT LOW BRANCH SCAR

I think This'll look great once once the wound rolls over. Heres mine on my dwarf pomegranate. Wasnn't deliberate. it had an alternative trunk that died sort of fused to the trunk. Then I peeled it back. My beeches are sort of lame at their stage. Complements of the squirrels as volunteers in the garden.

More or less. The bottom scar was a rub-wound on the trunk from before I got the tree. It had nearly healed over.
I used a carving bit to hollow that section out then carried it up from there.

Around here, the hollow trunk feature is commonly seen in alders, hemlock, and maples; trees with low rot resistance.

Advanced formation. Big-leaf maple.



Inner deadwood still present. Decay will continue even if/when the wound fully rolls over.


Hemlock “hemrot”



Hollows can form in trees with high rot-resistance too.
When exposed directly to fire, inner deadwood can burn more readily than the living exterior of a tree. Fires occasionally smolder inside large trees for many months, hollowing parts of the trunk in the process.