Purple beech ‘Riversii’

* Common name: River’s purple European beech

* Botanical name: Fagus sylvatica ‘Riversii’

* What it is: A slow-growing shade tree with smooth-edged, elongated leaves of glossy burgundy/purple. Color is more greenish/purple in summer before turning coppery in fall.

* Size: 50 feet tall, 40 feet wide in 25 years.

* Where to use: Great back-yard specimen (or out front, if you have at least 40 feet of space). Avoid wet areas and poorly drained soil. Does best in full sun to light shade.

* Care: Fertilizer usually not needed. Just keep the roots consistently damp (but never soggy) the first 2 to 3 seasons, then water not needed except for drought. Remove lowest limbs as the tree grows to expose the smooth bark. Crossing or excess branches also can be removed mid to late winter.

* Great partner: Barrenwort and/or liriope are good perennial underplantings. Cherry laurel is a good flowering evergreen partner.

— George Weigel