This Weeping Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula') at Amen Farm is one of the world’s more unusual types of tree. Its scientific name is derived from its most noticeable characteristic: pendulous branches.
These trees can grow to more than 80 feet in height and often are wider than they are high. They were selectively bred from European Beeches in England in 1836 and were introduced into the United States in 1847.
Beeches usually don’t lose all of their leaves in the fall or winter (a phenomenon called “marcescence”); many of the leaves dry out and hang on tightly to sing a rustling chorus to the winter winds. The remaining Beech leaves drop when new growth is ready to appear in the spring.
This one is more than 70 years old and is still growing and being specially pruned for an intriguing flat-bottom-branch effect. Most Weeping Beeches reportedly live between 150 and 200 years. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on October 20, 2021.)