Deciduous beech
2024-03-01T15:39:32+11:00
While European deciduous trees are farmed for their autumn foliage, this little-known Tasmanian native also features those coveted autumnal tones.
Australia has thousands of unique and amazing species of flora, but only a handful are deciduous. Even scarcer are those with the spectacular autumn foliage colour of many Northern Hemisphere plants.
In fact, deciduous beech (Nothofagus gunnii) is the only one! It’s so special that locals and tourists celebrate the ‘turning of the fagus’, a short period in autumn when pockets of Tasmanian bushland light up with its fiery foliage tones. Its ‘crinkle-cut’ foliage is emerald green for six or seven months, then it develops into wonderful shades of yellow, orange and red before finally dropping from the plant.
Its size is extremely variable, ranging from a low, spreading, tangled shrub to an 8m tree, making placement tricky.
Also called tanglefoot, N. gunnii is found naturally in Tasmania’s high country. On the mainland, it’s best suited to cooler areas, such as along the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales and Victoria.
Deciduous beech provides a window into the evolution of Australian flora, with its ancestors dating back more than a hundred million years, when Australia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. Our climate was very different then, and Nothofagus forests were widespread before the now ubiquitous eucalypt forests took over.
Growing deciduous beech
Growing N. gunnii is fairly straightforward if your area isn’t too hot in summer. A deep, loamy soil in a semi-shaded, sheltered spot is ideal, with a hole several times the width of the pot. Backfill with topsoil mixed with well-rotted manure or mature compost.
Southern beeches are relatively free from pests and diseases, but should be grown in a well-drained spot to minimise the chance of root rot. Water and mulch during dry periods, and feed with a general-purpose fertiliser in spring to encourage a burst of attractive new growth. Pruning is only needed if you wish to shape the plant.
The beautiful foliage of deciduous beech makes it a great companion for Australian rainforest plants with larger glossy green foliage, as well as Northern Hemisphere autumn colour plants such as Japanese maples, or evergreens such as camellias, rhododendrons and gardenias.
Header image credit: Alamy
