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Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. Hêtre à grandes feuilles
Beech is best identified by its long pointed, alternate buds and
strongly veined, waxy leaves, which often remain on the tree over
winter.
Moist river valleys to upland hardwoods sites in pure or mixed stands.
It suffers greatly from the non-native scale insect and a  fungus
canker disease.
Very high
Moderate
Moist loam
Acid to neutral
Low
Low to moderate
4
Moderately tall, stout
trunk with rounded to wide-spreading crown.
Deep bluish-green colour.
Deep green to gold
to a rich copper.
24m
100-200 yrs
Beech has a slow to moderate growth rate, suited to many planting
situations. It is rarely cultivated for sale in nurseries, but can
be transplanted.
It is a good shade tree
in individual
or group plantings on fertile locations in natural areas,parks,
and schools grounds.
Due to its high
degree of shade tolerance, Beech can be interplanted to improve
diversity.
Nuts are found in pairs
enclosed in a bristly husk, which ripens and falls in late August.
Beech nuts are a favourite food for wildlife, from mice to squirrels,
raccoons, bears, and various birds. It was a preferred food for
the now extinct passenger pigeon.
One of the tastiest nuts of the northern woods, it was once ground
into flour, pressed to make a cooking oil or used to make a coffee-like
beverage. The leaves were once used as a filler for mattresses as
they didn´t mildew or crumble like hay.
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