Fagus grandifolia
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- FAG-us gran-dih-FOH-lee-uh
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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American beech is native to eastern North America and is a large deciduous tree typically growing to 60-80’ tall or more with a dense, upright-oval to a rounded-spreading crown. It is a low-branched tree with its mature trunk ranging from 2-3’ in diameter. This tree is slightly salt tolerant.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Beech scale is an occasional problem on this tree.
Quick ID Hints:
- Leaves coarsely serrate, bristles at margin
- Prickly brownish fruit; seeds trigonous
- Parallel veins pierce margin
- midrib and vein axils may have hairs on underside
- Awl shaped bud
A beautiful tree in a large area, not recommended for smaller landscapes - difficult to grow other plants or lawn underneath. Fall color is golden bronze and leaves often last into winter. Relatively slow growth rate. Prefers moist, well-drained, acid soil, intolerant of wet or compacted soil, prefers sun but will tolerate shade.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- 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:
- grandifolia
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Shade tree. This tree was used by Native Americans for building materials, medicine, and food.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Canada to Central Mexico
- Distribution:
- ME to FL west to TX, OK, MI, IL, MI, and MN east through midwest
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- The nuts are eaten by small mammals, white-tailed deer, black bears, foxes, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, ducks, woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, American crows and blue jays.
- Play Value:
- Screening
- Shade
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wind Break
- Edibility:
- Nutmeats, in small quantities, edible raw or cooked.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- 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)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Nut
- Fruit Description:
- Nuts are irregularly triangular, shiny brown and edible. 3/4" long, globose and orange, with recurved prickles, housing a 3 winged nut. Sept. to Oct.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Monoecious yellowish green flowers bloom from March to May on the American beech. It's male flowers form in drooping, long-stemmed, globular clusters and the female flowers in short spikes. Female flowers give way to triangular nuts enclosed by spiny bracts. Beechnuts ripen in fall and are edible.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Simple, alternate, ovate-oblong, 2-5" long, half as wide, acuminate tip, coarsely serrate, dark green and glossy above, lighter green below, sometimes tomentose along the midrib and in vein axils on underside. Parallel veins pierce the margin; little bristles on the margin.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- Trunks have distinctive thin, smooth, gray bark.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Somewhat zig-zag, grayish, shiny. Awl-shaped, imbricate, 3/4-1" long and slender, shiny, pointy.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Shade Tree
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Salt
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
