Japanese Beech Fagus crenata
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- FAG-us kre-NAY-tuh
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Japanese Beech is a flowering, deciduous tree, with a rounded crown native to Japan. This variety of beech tree tends to have dense, low branches with a tall, stout trunk and smooth, silver-gray bark. The Japanese Beech, in particular, has alternate, simple, toothed leaves with 1 tooth for each secondary vein. The flowers are small and inconspicuous and the fruit, the edible beechnut, is a 3-angled nut inside of a weakly spiny husk. The tree is slow to mature, but can reach a height of 100 feet.
Japanese Beech does best planted in well-drained fertile soils in full sun to partial shade. Young trees are shade tolerant, but subject to frost damage and it is best to provide them protection from winter winds. The trees have surface-feeding roots, can cast a dense shade that can inhibit the growth of other plants, and prefer hotter summers.
These trees are suitable as a shade tree for homes, parks, libraries, and other municipal spaces. The are typically found in forests or natural area in rich woods, but are most often used as a cultivated tree in an urban landscape.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No known diseases or insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Fagus
- Species:
- crenata
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Nuts are pressed for oils. The wood is used in construction and for firewood.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Japan
- Distribution:
- Eastern Asia
- Wildlife Value:
- Fruits are eaten by mammals and birds.
- Edibility:
- Nutmeats, in small quantities, are edible raw or cooked. Young leaves can be cooked for greens in the spring.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Description:
- A 3-angled nut inside of a weakly spiny husk. The fruit, known as beechnuts or mast, drop in autumn. They are small, roughly triangular and edible, usually with a bitter taste.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Insignificant
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The female flowers are borne in pairs; the male flowers are borne in wind-pollinating catkins in spring.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- Smooth, gray bark.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
