European beech grows quite fast actually, faster than the american beech, so don't worry about that at least. Two feet a year is normal here close to its native northen limit, so even more should be expected in a warmer climate. I don't know anything about the 'quercifolia' though

I have not seen the forestfarm trees, but quercifolia is not more heavily dissected than asplenifolia. If you want heavily dissected type I would look for laciniata but I would suspect that its growth rate would be slower than species. I have seen what appeared to be different clones of asplenifolia around but if you get the ones that are common in Europe, you should not be worried about growth rates. They grow fast (1-2 feet a year should be normal in unstressed conditions). Nonetheless, Dirr says that european beech grew slowly down in Georgia but I believe they should be fine with Maryland's weather.

Fagus sylvatica f. laciniata is an umbrella term covering all cutleaf beech cultivars, including the most prevalent one, F. sylvatica f. laciniata 'Asplenifolia'. This is more deeply cut and therefore attractive than F. sylvatica f. laciniata 'Laciniata', but has sometimes been sold under that name. F. sylvatica f. laciniata 'Quercifolia' may be smaller-growing and smaller-leaved than 'Asplenifolia'. Other than 'Asplenfolia' (and to an extent 'Laciniata') the others have been so rare it might be wondered if any given offering under one of the other names was correctly identified.

If it can be determined that the stock originates with a specialist who seems to know the whole story, then different situation.

This post was edited by bboy on Tue, Jun 11, 13 at 15:54

interesting, bboy, this is the opposite of what I observed in Europe ("Laciniata" being extremely deeply dissected, thread-like foliage, "Quercifolia" being barely dissected, and "Asplenifolia" being somewhere in between, with leaves often distinctively curved as a "scimitar"). But I defer to your expertise.

Here is some information on dissected leaf cultivars from my web site.

Rochester, New York is an interesting city to visit, While on a sabbatical from teaching in 1985, I roamed through Highlands Park and saw some interesting specimen conifers. Surprisingly, I came across some very large beech in one of the city's residential areas, which was formerly the site of a nursery. The specimens over 4 feet in diameter were Fagus sylvatica âÂÂAsplenifoliaâÂÂ, a cultivar with narrow, sometimes deeply lobed, green leaves. It originated in France sometime about 1805. With age the leaves tend to broaden somewhat and become like those of Fagus sylvatica âÂÂLaciniataâÂÂ. A witchesâÂÂ-broom from this cultivar has produced a shrublike form of âÂÂAspenifoliaâ called âÂÂMercedesâÂÂ. The dwarfest of the European beeches, it has small, narrow leaves.

Fagus sylvatica âÂÂRohaniiâ is a very popular plant in parts of the United States. It has dark red leaves that are deeply incised around their margins. Fagus sylvatica âÂÂRohan Trompenburgâ is a seedling of âÂÂRohaniâ with improved color that shows little fading during the summer.

A seedling from âÂÂRohaniiâ named âÂÂInterrupta Purpureaâ is so deeply dissected that often the leaf margins meet at the mid vein of the leaf, dividing it into two or three sections. Not every leaf has such extensive dissection, but every leaf is deeply lobed. The color is good and the growth rate is quite fast.

A green form, âÂÂInterruptaâÂÂ, originated at the same time, about 1950, also at Trompenburg Arboretum. This dissection of many leaves into the midvein can be best seen on the second flush of growth that usually occurs during July in North America.

Fagus sylvatica âÂÂQuercinaâ is a small tree, reaching 40 feet in 40 years that possesses irregular, undulating leaves much like those of âÂÂRohaniiâ with one exception. âÂÂQuercinaâ has green leaves. Discovered in 1888 in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), âÂÂQuercinaâ has become a very popular tree in America and throughout Europe.

Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: Beech article

You can see varying leaf shapes on 'Asplenifolia' in this area also, with sections of less deeply lobed leaves among the others. 'Quercifolia' and 'Quercina' have in the past been considered to be two different cultivars.