Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ forms a tall, dense, pyramidal tree with lower branches that sweep down to the ground. Its new spring leaves are copper-red with a silky sheen, while its summer leaves are deep-purple. During the autumn season, the leaves turn purple, then brown through the winter and fall off prior to the emergence of new leaves. Fagus sylvatica is deciduous and native to Europe. Learn more about Fagus sylvatica. Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ has been cultivated for hundreds of years, and the oldest recorded discovery is from a work dated 1680 where Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’ was discovered in Buchs, Zürich, Switzerland.