Native to eastern North America, the American beech will stand out in any forest. It is a large deciduous tree, sometimes growing up to 120 feet tall . Its crown is typically dense, upright-oval to rounded-spreading. It blooms yellowish green flowers in the spring, the male flowers 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 the fall and are edible. It holds its toothed, golden-brown leaves very late into the winter.

Good upland tree. Likes full sun at maturity. Tolerates shade when young. Large space such as lawns, parks, are necessary for wide-spreading root system. Can sucker from roots. Transplant during dormant season.

Quick Growing Guide

Botanical Name: Fagus grandifolia

Also Called: Other names: Red Beech, Hêtre rouge, Hêtre américain

En français: Hêtre à grandes feuilles

Sun / Shade:

Water: Low to moderate need for water. Does not like excessively wet soils.

Pollinators:

Hardiness Zones:

Companion plant suggestions include Mixed woods, often with Sugar Maple, Yellow Birch and Eastern Hemlock.

Comments

Leave a Reply

More From Gardening Calendar

10 Trees and Shrubs with Colorful Bark

Add colour, texture and vertical intrigue to your garden with these ten bark varieties! Learn about Golden Curls Willow, Coral-Bark Japanese Maple, Black Cherry, Red Osier Dogwood, Tatarian Dogwood, Striped-bark Maple, Carolina Silverbell, Shagbark Hickory, Silver Birch, and Paperbark Maple.

Tomato Seed Leaves

Two tomato seed leaves have appeared and are developing their true leaves. Be sure there are several true leaves before you transplant them.

Seed Germination Tips

Starting seeds, the first thing that you should see is a pair of leaves. These are seed leaves and almost every seed will start out this way.