hello I have planted 3 purple beech (fagus sylvatica dawyck purple )about 8 feet apart. The distance to the house foundation is 17-14 feet (it is angular space). I am considering buying a 4th one that distance to the house would only be 10 feet. I would still be able to space it 8 feet from the other trees. Would this be a bad idea? |I see these trees planted all the time right in front of peoples homes. When I research it out it I find 15 metres is recommended from foundations….noone has property that big?
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners. The most important consideration for your space is the mature height and spread of the tree. Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Purple’ has a mature height of 25’ – 50’ and a mature spread of 6’ – 15’. It grows slowly, reaching its ultimate height at 20-50 years (it can live for more than 100 years). At 10 years it is approximately 25’ in height and 6’ in width.
Beech trees tend to have a shallow root system. Roots will spread at least as wide as the width of the tree. Although it is generally not a good idea to plant a tree extremely close to a building, tree roots are usually not the cause of foundation problems. This post by The Morton Arboretum provides more information about this :
Hopefully this information will be helpful as you make your decision about adding another purple beech to your garden.