Fagus sylvatica ‘Riversii’ is a large, dome-shaped tree with an open branch structure and smooth grey bark. It produces larger leaves than the usual purple beech and has rich, deep, purple, shiny leaves in the spring that maintain their color throughout the summer. 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 ‘Riversii’ is a magnificent specimen tree. Fagus sylvatica is deciduous and native to Europe. Learn more about Fagus sylvatica. Fagus sylvatica ‘Riversii’ was first listed in the catalogues of the Rivers nursery in Sawbridgeworth, United Kingdom in the 1870s.