Copper beech, also known as purple beech, is a cultivated form of common beech (although copper-coloured beech trees are also sometimes found in nature). It grows to a height of more than 40m. The bark is smooth, thin and grey, often with slight horizontal etchings. Twigs are slender and grey but not straight – their shape resembles a zig-zag. Torpedo-shaped leaf buds are coppery and up to 2cm in length, with a distinctive criss-cross pattern.

Copper beech doesn’t occur naturally, but is planted in urban and rural areas across the UK as an ornamental tree for its distinctive purple leaves. The timber can be used for a variety of purposes, including fuel, furniture, cooking utensils, tool handles and sports equipment. The wood burns well and was traditionally used to smoke herring. The edible nuts, or masts, were once used to feed pigs, and in France they are still sometimes roasted and used as a coffee substitute. In early spring time, the tree trunk can be drilled or tapped to allow the sap to flow out in the hanging bucket. The collected sap liquid is boiled until you have a syrup similar to Maple syrup.