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American Beech

Fagus grandifolia


Hardiness Zones: 4 - 9   View Map
  • Develops a dense canopy
  • Provides golden bronze fall color
  • Features simple leaves that are 3–6" long with sharp, incurved teeth on the margins
  • Yields edible, hard, brown beechnuts that are ½–1" in diameter
  • Compensates for its slow grown with longevity
  • Retains its smooth bark as it ages
  • Grows in an oval shape
  • Needs plenty of space

Tree Details

Shape

Oval

Growth Speed

Slow to Medium

Scientific Name

Fagus grandifolia

Mature Height

50' - 70'

Shipping Height

3' - 4'

Highlights

The formal and stately American beech holds a special place in many hearts. The wide-spreading canopy provides great shade in the summer and beautiful bronze coloring in the fall. It is a versatile tree, often used in parks, golf courses, acreages, and the forestry industry.

The American beech is not a tree you plant for fast growth and quick shade — this slow grower is planted for future generations to enjoy. And what a lovely legacy for you to leave.

Sun Preference

Full Sun

Soil Preference

Acidic, Clay, Loamy, Moist, Sandy, Silty Loam, Well Drained

Wildlife Value

Beechnuts are eaten by birds and mammals, serving as an important food for chipmunks and squirrels.

History/Lore

A sturdy, densely canopied tree, the American Beech was a sign of fertile soil to early settlers and was quickly removed so the plow could take over and farming for food could commence. In hilly locations, it was the home for migrating Passenger Pigeons who were so numerous that they broke off the limbs of the trees from the sheer weight of their numbers when they perched on them. There was a Beech tree on the old stage road between Blountville and Jonesborough, Tennessee that had an inscription carved into the trunk that read "D. Boone Cilled A Bar On Tree In Year 1760." The tree fell in 1916 and had a girth of 28-1/2 feet. The Forest Service estimated the tree’s age to be 365 years, making it fully two centuries old before Daniel Boone inscribed on it.

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