Maybe somewhat off topic but when I saw "Haaren" this question got me interested as it is the name of a small Dutch village close to where I live. "Haaren" is situated in the south of the Netherlands and is host to many tree nurseries.

Unfortunately, I can't find much information about the origins of this beech on Dutch language web sites (whether it is a selection made by a nursery in the village of Haaren etc. ).

Furthermore, this beech cultivar isn't widely available in the Netherlands. This tempts me to the conclusion that Fagus sylvatica Haaren it is not significantly better than or different from other named forms of red weeping beeches (i.e. Black Swan or Purple Fountain).

Not to throw shade (no pun intended!), but, doesn't being listed online at any nursery in the Netherlands constitute being widely available? I mean...it isn't a very big country! I can only imagine there are still many nurseries there that do not have online stock lists - this one came up as the third link in US google. I can think of many cultivars I've sought in the US that return no sources in *any* country, on the first google apge of results.
Looks like just another dark leaved cultivar. What was supposed to be special about it, Dave? Darkest of them all?

Bomen means tree or shrub right? so this is "treesonline.nl"
Sounds a bit like the german word Baumschule which I think means literally "tree school" LOL.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.bomenonline.nl/Assortiment/Details.asp?Soort=Fagus sylvatica %27Haaren%27&PlantNr=906199&Lang=EN

This post was edited by davidrt28 on Mon, Dec 29, 14 at 14:50

I saw in on Facebook in Weeping Tree's and Conifers and now I can't find it. Should have bookmarked it. I will re post the question there and maybe I'll get a hit.

Thanks for responding

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Weeping Tree's and Conifers

"...doesn't being listed online at any nursery in the Netherlands constitute being widely available?"

If satirical, I didn't get it. If not satirical, I really don't get it.

"Bomen means tree or shrub right? so this is "treesonline.nl"
Sounds a bit like the german word Baumschule which I think means literally "tree school" LOL. "

Compare to "beam" in "hornbeam". But that is offtopic.

Brandon...the Dutch are considered some of the most direct people on Earth. I'm pretty sure Gardenprince was either amused or unaffected, and not offended, and he certainly doesn't need you looking out for him.

It is a small country (about the size of Maryland) - and the fact I found an outfit selling it there, with one click into google...makes me think ok, well, maybe not quite "widespread" but certainly not hard to find either. In any case the availability wasn't even the issue, Gardenprince was implying he couldn't say what differentiated it because it wasn't possible to find marketing to indicate that. The link I posted seems to say something in Dutch about its leaves.

But I shouldn't have replied anyhow - satirically or not - because Gardenprince's conclusion is probably absolutely correct. It's hard to believe the world needs another dark-leaved beech cultivar at this point. But who knows. Maybe there's something really distinctive about it.

I'm Dutch so not easily offended!

About the website bomenonline.nl : its true that they offer Fagus sylvatica Haaren but I've heard that many times they seem unable to deliver the rarer cultivars that they list. The guys behind bomenonline are situated in the Opheusden area, a region with heavy clay soil which mainly grows the tried and tested cultivars of street trees.

What I also find remarkable is that one of the better known tree nurseries in the Netherlands (Van den Berk Nurseries), which lists more than 30 cultivars of Fagus sylvatica, does not offer "Haaren". This beech too new?

Esveld has "Haaren" listed in its catalogue but is not 100% certain they can deliver it.

Strange that I cannot find more about a beech cultivar that probably originated in the Netherlands (can't imagine that an American or German nursery would name a cultivar "Haaren").

Supposed characteristics of this cultivar:
According to bomenonline it holds it leafs better in winter but I wonder if this is also true for older trees. Esveld says it has a straight trunk (!) and a spreading branch position.

Looks like it comes/came from from a David Bomer at www.boom etc. (see full web address on photo). I haven't looked to see if this is the same place as the bomen one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Store

This post was edited by bboy on Thu, Jan 1, 15 at 13:04

I've got the trade list of David Bömer's nursery for 2014-15 but he does not offer "Haaren" this season.

Either it looks too much like 'Purple Fountain' to have generated lasting and substantial interest or there is some other issue that has kept it from being built up and made consistently available. Maybe grafts of it take in low percentages, maybe all the stock offered so far originates with one grower and they just haven't grown enough of it to establish a greater presence.

This post was edited by bboy on Fri, Jan 2, 15 at 12:38