Fagus sylvatica 'Dawyck Purple'
The tallest example of it's type in the country.
This stunning fastigiate (upright growing) purple/red beech is a champion tree in the Gardens. The tallest example of it's type in the country. Fagus sylvatica 'Dawyck Purple' is a variety name after the parent tree that originated in Scotland at Dawyck in 1850.
What makes a tree, 'Champion Tree'?
I would imagine that most people will think that a champion tree must be a huge colossus of a tree, bigger than all the rest, but this isn’t necessarily the case. A champion is in essence the biggest example of that species of tree in the country and this can be height or girth or both. Even a dwarf tree can be a champion if its height exceeds all others in the UK of that variety. TROBI, Tree Register of the British Isles, is the organisation responsible for declaring trees, champions. Many hundreds of trees from all over the country are registered each year. TROBI will check and confirm that these are or are not, champions. At present the Hillier Gardens has one of the largest collections of champion trees in the country.
