Hello: I hope someone can answer this. I have been scowering the web for many hours re: this beech issue for the above cultivars. Very confusing. Seems like I'm onto something at this forum though! I have what the nursery said was 'roseomarginata'. I live in zone 5 Ontario. It always has been very deep purple with only a slim pink margin and very little white. It has not changed since I bought it two years ago. However, I have seen in Marion Jarvie's garden (Canadian Horticultarist), a few 12-15 ft specimens that are VERY pink, fairly white and some dark green. Her trees look very different. She says it is 10 years old. Is this then the infamous Tricolor? I recently purchased at the nursery she recommended another 'tricolor' beech. This 3 foot tall specimen is VERY pink, a bit of white and green like Marion's. Will this become 'roseomarginata' in style or could I in fact have the real mccoy?
Aw come on! 20 people have read my post and no replies :(. Is that because I'm apparently only a 'seedling?'
OK, I am not an expert on beeches but this is what an American expert wrote on the matter: Even though I live in France, what I have seen offered in the trade here is 'Roseomarginata' not the 'Tricolor'. However if you go to Esveld's website (see link below) he calls it 'Tricolor', even though it looks like 'Roseomarginata' to me. So still a bit confusing. Why don't you post a pic of your tree? Gomero http://www.esveld.nl/htmldia/f/fasptr.htm
Our nursery propagates 'Roseomarginata'/'Purpurea Tricolor' and, depending on a variety of conditions in the greenhouse (mainly shadyness) the resulting grafts will either have purple leaves with a pink edge (sunny spot), or they will range from white to pink to green (shady spot). I believe the appearance of this tree will have alot to do with its location and the fertility of the soil. The color on this tree can be outstanding, but it's form in time becomes rather open and assymetrical. For that reason, its not one of my favorite cultivars, but it will always be popular because of its foliage. Brian
No purple in 'Tricolor'. Tricolor beech of commerce 'Purpurea Tricolor' ('Roseomarginata'). 'Tricolor' may not even exist anymore.
Thanks Gomero, Brian and Ron! I appreciate the replies. Don't know how to post a picture. So what I hear Brian saying is that roseo marginata can apppear as very purple with a small pink margin or as a more mottled pink, white and green depending on sun and soil, mostly light conditions. So even though my young 3 foot tree looks quite spectacular, next year it could change to resemble the one I already have, is that correct? I am however certain that the one that I saw at Marion's garden gets sun until 12:00 just like mine which is the less spectacular one that I've had for the last 2 years. Nothing I can do about it I guess? Can I do something to the soil? How about stressing it like someone else recommended? What about this 'adjusting' phase that someone else talked about. Could it be that some trees keep their colour and others don't independent of soil and sun? Thanks again for your time, Sylvia
Ok, so here is the answer! I asked Marion Jarvie, the Canadian Horticulturalist. She said that my less brilliantly pink tricolor beech is the SAME species/variety as her tricolor beech although they LOOK completely different. The answer is in the quality of the graft. A poorer looking stem graft will produce the same type of branches whereas a high quality vividly pink stem graft will produce more vivid looking branches the same as the original graft. So, make sure you get a good looking tree to begin with, as I did subsequent to my initial disappointing purchase! I bought my new trees from a nursery in quebec! It was worth the trip.