Copper Beech is very similar to Common Beech in shape and size, the key difference being the colour of the leaves. The leaves of Copper Beech are a deep copper / purple colour which is why this tree is sometimes called a Purple Beech. It is a fairly widespread tree and is often found in parks and fields, often with Common Beech nearby. As it is a cultivated species it is not technically a native species. That being said the Woodland Trust have classed it as being native to the South of the UK and non-native to the UK.
It does not like pollution so is not suited as a street tree. It is very easy to identify all year round and the fruit (Beech Nuts) are edible when prepared correctly. There are many excellent sources of information on the Copper Beech tree - here are a few to hand. 
Copper Beech leaves in the rain
Close up of Copper Beech leaves
The young leaves are soft with silky hairs, which become darker and lose their hairs as they mature. They are 4–9cm long, stalked, oval and pointed at the tip, with a wavy edge. They deep copper / purple colour is present in both young and mature leaves.
A hedge which has both Copper and Common Beech so it makes it easier to see the colour differences
Close up of the smooth, grey bark. This is also the same for Common Beech
The dangling flowers are the male ones. Once the pollen has been shed they slowly fall off the tree
The spiky purple ball is the female flower. They are more upright and eventually turn into the spiky beech nuts (mast)
Beech is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers grow on the same tree. The flowers come out in April and May. The female flowers grow in pairs, surrounded by a cup which is typically upright. The tassel-like male catkins hang from long stalks at the end of twigs.
A medium sized Copper Beech on the Cathedral green in Exeter
A large Copper Beech at Sylvan Heights park in Exeter
  • Copper beeches appeared as natural mutants of the common beech in various parts of Europe, as early as the 15th century
  • Copper beech, also known as purple beech, is a cultivar of common beech
  •  Grows to a height of more than 40m and is also used as hedges
  • Twigs are slender and grey but not straight - their shape is a bit zig-zag
  • Torpedo-shaped leaf buds are coppery and up to 2cm in length, with a distinctive criss-cross pattern
  • The leaves are coppery to deep purple in colour, oval and fringed
  • The young leaves have silky brown hairs
  • It is monoecious, meaning both male and female flowers grow on the same tree
  • once wind pollinated, the female flowers turn into wooden. spiky fruits
  • Inside the fruit are one or two reddish brown beech nuts (known as beechmast)
  • It is widely grown as an ornamental tree for its distinctive purple leaves
  • The bark is often home to a variety of fungi, mosses and lichens
  • The wood burns well and was traditionally used to smoke herring
  • The edible nuts, or masts, were once used to feed pigs
  • In France they are still sometimes roasted and used as a coffee substitute
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
(unranked):Angiosperms
(unranked):Eudicots
(unranked):Rosids
Order:Fagales
Family:Fagaceae
Genus:Fagus
If there is anything out of place or wrong please contact me. Equally if there is anything you wish to add please let me know. The more information we have about Copper Beech the better. Many thanks!