I planted my Fagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain' last Fall. As there was damage to the leader, I was forced to prune it back to the top lateral branch. However, I now realize I may have jeopardized the upright growth of the tree. Am I now committed to an 8 foot weeper, or will the tree establish a new leader from the top lateral? Many thanks.
Same answer I gave on GardenWeb: tree is quite likely to resume upward growth on its own, beeches are so tolerant of pruning they can be hedged.
