European Copper Beech
Copper/Purple European Beech
(Fagus sylvatica Purpurea Group)
The former European Copper Beech, "Entrancing East Empress" at Zehr Estate was always a featured stop when touring the grounds.
November 2015, European Copper beech tree at 208 Chemung street, Waverly, NY:
Our daughter, Nicole Marie, on August 24, 2018 on a branch of the European Copper beech tree:
Our daughter, Nicole Marie, on August 24, 2018 on a branch of the European Copper beech tree:
Although this tree could not be entered into the National or NY State Large Tree Registry because it is not a native species of the United States, we did take measurements and did the calculations. With a score
of 318 points, it would appear to rank :
Tree Stats (2010):
2010:
4th largest in NY on the National Tree Registry
19th largest in NY on the NY State Tree Registry
1st by 33 points of largest trees in Tioga County NY
Of course, this is only speculation, other non native trees or unregistered trees may change this ranking.
Points are calculated using three measurements:(1) Trunk Circumference (measured in inches)
(2) Vertical Tree Height (measured to the nearest foot)
(3) Average Crown Spread (measured to the nearest foot)
Longest Plus Perpendicular canopy width divided by 8
Trunk Circumference + Height + Average Crown Spread = Total Points
232" + 62' + 24' = 318 points (2010)
312" + 76' + 24' = 412 points (2022 Before Fallen Part)
252" + 76' + 22' = 350 points (2022 After Fallen Part)
2022 Measurement Stats
Before a large part broke away from the tree on June 14, 2022:
2nd largest in NY on the National Tree Registry
8th largest in NY on the NY State Tree Registry
1st largest in Tioga County NY
2015, the base of the tree:
2017, view of the tree from the yard of 7 Athens street:
May 19, 2017, showing vegetation under the canopy:
Spring of 2017:
2018, European Copper beech tree showing its purple color:
February of 2020, showing how the leaves of the European Copper / Purple Beech are still hanging on:
May 26, 2022, just under 3 weeks before a large piece of the tree broke away, Ava and Maya were obsessing over this part of the tree that broke away, I had to pull them away, so strange:
June 14, 2022 - What a sad day! Our enormous, beautiful, majestic European Copper / Purple Beech tree would never be the same. We received messages from two different neighbors that a part of our tree had fallen, a large part! The pictures can say more than words.
June 14, 2022, view of base from Athens street:
June 14, 2022, view of base from well:
June 14, 2022, closer up view of broken away base:
June 14, 2022, view of broken away base from front:
June 14, 2022, the section of the European Copper / Purple beech tree that broke away early in the morning, snapped the pine tree in half. The pine tree had been slowly dying anyway:
June 14, 2022, view from corner of Chemung and Athens streets:
June 14, 2022, view from front of house at 208 Chemung street:
June 14, 2022, notice the green leaves of the beech tree on left side of picture, these were on the under side of the canopy. Notice at far right of the picture, the leaves are purple, these leaves were the top of the canopy where the sun hit:
June 14, 2022, after the large piece broke away, showing what remained:
After requesting several knowledgeable "tree people" to look at our tree and taking their thoughts and suggestions in consideration, we made a very hard decision to have the remaining part of the tree taken down. Bottom line is that we couldn’t risk anymore of the tree coming apart from the base and hitting the house or former carriage house, or worse yet, injuring someone. So, on July 3, 2023, we were put on a waiting list for our “Entrancing East Empress” to be taken down. Though we decided to leave at least 8 feet or more of the base.
May 20, 2023, the cutting up of the June 14, 2022 section that fell, we will have lots of firewood for sure:
August 11, 2023, Brad cutting fire wood and rounds:
August 11, 2023 Brad working at the big section that fell on June 14, 2022:
October 15, 2023, just 13 days before the tree cutters came for their first visit:
October 15, 2023, family photo, under the canopy of the European Copper/Purple beech tree just 13 days before the tree cutters came:
October 27, 2023, the tree cutters first visit:
October 27, 2023, the tree cutters first visit:
October 27, 2023, after first cutting, what remains of the tree:
October 27, 2023, after first cutting, 9 Athens street yard full of the cut branches:
October 27, 2023, view from 7 Athens street yard after first cutting:
November 3, 2023, second visit, what remains of tree, view from 9 Athens street yard:
November 3, 2023, after second visit, view from Athens street:
November 3, 2023, after second cutting, tree towers over the house at 208 Chemung street, Waverly, NY:
November 10, 2023, after third visit, Athens street, stone fence took a hit as well as some sidewalk:
November 10, 2023, brush and limbs in yard of 9 Athens street:
November 10, 2023, view looking up from Athens street sidwalk:
November 10, 2023, notice the young beech? This young European Copper/Purple beech tree planted itself here. It was here when we purchased the property:
November 10, 2023, logs in the yard of 9 Athens street:
November 10, 2023, another view of the logs in yard of 9 Athens street:
November 10, 2023, view from Athens street:
November 10, 2023, view from the corner of Chemung and Athens streets, huge difference with our tree gone:
Looking back, July 2017, what a difference!
Our former tree as of 2023, was very fascinating with its elephant like appearance, being with a smooth light gray bark, yet wrinkled in parts to resemble the folds of an elephant's skin. Its several spreading branches appeared to be like the trunks of separate trees. The roots showing above surface also add to the elephant like appearance. The beautiful purple to copper color of the new leaves every spring was breathtaking! The copper beech tree has higher levels of the pigment anthocyanin which hides the green color of the pigment chlorophyll, especially in the sun lit areas. As the summers came to an end, the leaves appeared more green in color, but still had a purple hint on the edge of the leaves. In the autumn, the leaves turned a brilliant golden yellow. After all the other surrounding trees had lost their leaves, the leaves of this tree were still hanging on to our massive beech tree. In winter and into the early spring there were still several brittle dead leaves hanging on from the previous year.
Under this gorgeous tree, in 2010, when we purchased the property, there was no grass or living plants under the tree except for a touch of myrtle, otherwise there was loose dry dirt, which is very common under this type and age of tree which is highly shaded. We experimented under the tree and landscaped it with several loads of mulch and planted some hosta and shade plants. The hosta plants did very well. We then planted ferns which also have come back year after year. The tree needed good drainage and the mulch helped with that. It was not advised to have heavy foot traffic under this tree, for the more foot traffic, the more compact the soil would become, leading to less drainage. The roots of the tree need plenty of oxygen and drainage. We next transplanted some of the myrtle to another area under the tree to help with spreading the myrtle as ground cover. What we didn't plant are all the grape vines and Virginia creeper and other vines and unwanted plants/weeds. The area under the tree's canopy thrived with all sorts of plant life, good and bad. With the tree now gone in 2023, we will have to see what plant life this area will have in the future. There is a young European Copper Beech tree next to the circa 1879 remaining stump. This young tree planted itself there and we noticed it after we purchased the property in 2010.
Today, these trees are widely available and are becoming a favorite landscaping choice.
"For years my mother coveted a Copper Beech tree - I wonder if it was because of yours. Anyway, we finally gave her one at 416." Rebecca Robinson Abele Jan. 15, 2011. Referring to the tree planted to the east side of the home at 416 Chemung st. Waverly, NY.
I have seen a European copper beech tree at the Glenwood cemetery, it's canopy is stretched over the graves of the Slaughter family. I have also seen one of these trees in the Forest Home Cemetery. Both cemeteries being in Waverly, NY.
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