Fern Leaved Beech Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifolia'
- Phonetic Spelling
- FAG-us sil-VAT-ee-kuh ass-plee-ni-FOH-lee-a
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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'Asplenifolia' is a cultivar of Fagus sylvantica, the European Beech, and is distinguished by its fern-like leaves, which also give the tree its common name, Fern Leaved Beech. The Fern Leaved Beech is a deciduous tree with leaves cut into slender lobes. The leaves, themselves, are narrow, lanceolate, feathery, fine textured, and fern-like. Small yellow-green flowers bloom in spring, and produce fruit in the form of an edible, triangular nut inside a weak, spiny husk. The Fern Leaved Beech is a medium-size, graceful tree with a short trunk and low branching habit. It grows 40 to 60 feet tall and has a dense, erect, oval to rounded crown. The genus name comes from the Latin name and the species name means of the woods or forest. The cultivar name refers to the resemblance of the leaves to spleenwort fern.
The Fern Leaved Beech prefers full sun to partial shade and moist well-drained soils. It does not do well in wet or poorly drained soils, locations with high summer temperatures, or in urban conditions. It is a little more tolerant of different soil types than the American beech.
This tree is resistant to browsing by deer. It can be difficult to transplant, but recovers well from pruning and can be used as a hedge or screen.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems:
No serious insect or disease problems. Beech scale is an occasional problem. Watch for Japanese beetles. Stressed trees may be attacked by borers.
VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University
- 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:
- sylvatica
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The tree's wood has been used for centuries as firewood or for building furniture, musical instruments, veneer, and flooring.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- The beechnuts are eaten by birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and other small mammals.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Screening
- Shade
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- The beechnuts are toxic if ingested raw in large quantities or they are unripe; however, if the nuts are cooked properly, they may be consumed.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Poisonous
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Oval
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- 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:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fruit opens into 4 sections and contains a triangular, or 3-angled, brown nut that measures 5/8 inches long. The fruits are known as beechnuts, and they ripen in the fall and are edible.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are monoecious and bloom from April through May. The female flowers are reddish-brown clusters that appear on short stalks, while the male flowers are greenish-yellow, long-stemmed, drooping, and globular clusters. Only the female flowers produce fruits that are triangular nuts enclosed by spiny bracts. The tree may not flower until it is 30 to 80 years old.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Cut leaved cultivar with narrow, lanceolate, feathery, fine textured, fern-like, dark green leaves that are deeply dissected into slender lobes. Leaves turn golden brown in fall.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- The bark is thin, smooth, and dark gray. Older tree trunk bark has the appearance of elephant hide.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Scaly
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Description:
- The stems are slender with a zigzag form and are light brown to gray. The buds are light brown, narrow, long, pointed, and covered with overlapping scales.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Flowering Tree
- Hedge
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Problems:
- Poisonous to Humans
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- If ingested raw in large quantities or if unripe, the beechnuts can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea in humans and dogs. If the beechnuts are properly cooked they can be consumed.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Trimethylamine, oxalic acid
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Seeds
