Description and Taxonomy
– Beech trees are deciduous and native to temperate Eurasia and North America.
– The European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the most commonly cultivated species.
– Beech leaves are 5-15 centimeters long and sparsely toothed.
– The bark of beech trees is smooth and light gray.
– Beech trees produce small, triangular nuts called beechnuts or mast.
– The genus Fagus includes 10 to 13 species.
– Two distinct subgenera are recognized: Engleriana and Fagus.
– Engleriana subgenus is found in East Asia and has low branches with yellowish bark.
– Fagus subgenus includes high-branching beeches with tall, stout trunks and smooth silver-gray bark.
– Beeches in Eurasia represent a range of overlapping morphotypes, and separate species are not clearly supported by genetic analysis.
Species and Distribution
– Accepted species include Fagus chienii, Fagus crenata, Fagus engleriana, Fagus grandifolia, and Fagus hayatae.
– Other species include Fagus japonica, Fagus lucida, Fagus multinervis, Fagus orientalis, and Fagus pashanica.
– The European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the most common species in cultivation.
– American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is found in Canada, United States, and Mexico.
– Chinese beech (Fagus engleriana) is native to China.
– European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is widespread in north-central Europe.
– Beech trees are found in the Chilterns in England and the Cwm Clydach National Nature Reserve in Wales.
– In Ireland, beech trees were widely planted in the 18th century but are not native.
– Beech is widely planted for hedging and in deciduous woodlands in mainland Britain.
Uses and Applications
– European beech (Fagus sylvatica) yields utility timber used for furniture framing, flooring, and engineering purposes.
– Beechwood is excellent firewood, easily split and burning for many hours.
– Slats of washed beech wood are used in Budweiser beer fermentation tanks.
– Beech logs are burned to dry malt used in German smoked beers.
– Beech is used for smoking Westphalian ham, andouille sausage, and some cheeses.
– Beech wood is used for furniture framing, carcase construction, flooring, and engineering purposes.
Beech in Different Regions
– The Balkans are home to the oriental beech (F. orientalis) and Crimean beech (F. taurica).
– Beech marks the border between the European deciduous forest zone and the northern pine forest zone.
– It is the most common forest tree in Denmark and Scania.
– The most northern naturally growing beech trees are found in a small grove north of Bergen, Norway.
– Larvik, Norway, has the largest naturally occurring beech forest in the country.
– The American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is the only Fagus species in the Western Hemisphere.
– It occurs across much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.
– American beech tolerates hotter climates than European species.
– It commonly occurs as an overstory component in the northern part of its range.
– American beech is rarely found in developed areas except as remnants of cut-down forests.
– East Asia is home to five species of Fagus, with F. crenata occasionally planted in Western countries.
– F. crenata is smaller than F. sylvatica and F. grandifolia.
– F. crenata is one of the most common hardwoods in its native range.
– Other Asian species of beech are not commonly cultivated outside of their native range.
Beech Ecology and Research
– Beech grows on a wide range of soil types, provided they are not waterlogged.
– The tree canopy casts dense shade and thickens the ground with leaf litter.
– In North America, beech can form beech-maple climax forests with sugar maple.
– Beech trees are used as food plants by some species of Lepidoptera.
– Beech bark is thin and scars easily, allowing carvings and graffiti to remain.
– Shen, Chung-Fu (1992). A Monograph of the Genus Fagus Tourn. Ex L. (Fagaceae)
– Lyle, Katie Letcher (2010) [2004]. The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them
– Denk, Thomas; Grimm, Guido; Hemleben, Vera (2005). Patterns of Molecular and Morphological Differentiation in Fagus (Fagaceae): Phylogenetic Implications.
– Gömöry, D.; Paule, L.; Brus, R.; Zhelev, P.; Tomović, Z.; Gračan, J. (1999). Genetic differentiation and phylogeny of beech on the Balkan peninsula.
– Denk, Thomas; Grimm, Guido; Stogerer, K.; Langer, M.; Hemleben, Vera (2002). The evolutionary history of Fagus in western Eurasia: Evidence from genes, morphology, and the fossil record. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech
Beech (Fagus) is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Eurasia and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, Engleriana and Fagus. The Engleriana subgenus is found only in East Asia, distinctive for its low branches, often made up of several major trunks with yellowish bark. The better known Fagus subgenus beeches are high-branching with tall, stout trunks and smooth silver-grey bark. The European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the most commonly cultivated.
| Beech | |
|---|---|
 | |
| European beech (Fagus sylvatica) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Fagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Fagoideae K.Koch |
| Genus: | Fagus L. |
| Type species | |
| Castanea fagus | |
| Species | |
See text | |
The European species Fagus sylvatica yields a utility timber used for furniture construction, flooring and engineering purposes, in plywood, and household items. The timber can be used to build homes.
Beechwood makes excellent firewood. Slats of washed beech wood are spread around the bottom of fermentation tanks for Budweiser beer. Beech logs are burned to dry the malt used in some German smoked beers. Beech is also used to smoke Westphalian ham, andouille sausage, and some cheeses.
