Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. var. caroliniana (Loudon) Fernald & Rehder Fagus americana Sweet Fagus ferruginea Aiton Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. ssp. heterophylla Camp Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. var. caroliniana (Louden) Fernald & Rehder American beech
American beech is native to eastern North America. These slow-growing trees once covered most of North America, and can reach 400 years in age. Identification: These trees are 66-115' (20-35 m) in height, with very smooth bark that is silver-gray in color. Most tree bark roughens with age, but beech tree bark remains smooth unless attacked by disease. Trees can reproduce by “root suckering,” wherein spreading roots produce new trees, so it isn’t unusual for a mature tree to be surrounded by younger trees. Leaves are 3" (7.6 cm) long, alternate, roughly oval with pointed ends, shiny and waxy, dark green and smooth, with toothed edges. They have strong parallel veins. In the fall, they turn yellow, then a pale straw color in winter—often some of the leaves remain during the winter. Flowers of both sexes appear on the same tree (making beeches monoecious); both flowers are greenish and rounded, on stalks up to 1" (2.5 cm). Fruits, called beechnuts, are small three-winged nuts produced within a bur-like outer covering. Online References:
Fagus grandifolia on www.carolinanature.com Fagus grandifolia at the USDA Forest Service's Silvics of North America site Fagus grandifolia on Wikipedia Fagus grandifolia at the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Fagus grandifolia on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants Fagus grandifolia at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Fagus grandifolia on Blue Planet Biomes Fagus grandifolia on eFloras References:
Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 173 8/21/2017 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts 10/6/2011 · Shieling Forest, Peterborough, New Hampshire 8/21/2017 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts Young leaves. · 5/11/2016 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts 12/22/2011 · Rte. 225, West Groton, Massachusetts 10/6/2011 · Shieling Forest, Peterborough, New Hampshire 10/6/2011 · Shieling Forest, Peterborough, New Hampshire 5/11/2016 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts 4/24/2016 · Blue Trail, Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, New Hampshire 1/1/2012 · Big Tree Trail • Tudor Richards Natural History and Forest Trail, Hollis, New Hampshire 9/28/2011 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Massachusetts 9/28/2011 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Massachusetts 8/21/2017 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts 8/9/2010 · Keyes Farm, Nashoba Conservation Trust, Elm St., Pepperell, Massachusetts 4/1/2012 · Pearl Hill State Park, Yellow Trail, Townsend, Massachusetts Fagus grandifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 22 Aug 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
12/22/2011 · Rte. 225, West Groton, Massachusetts 8/9/2010 · Keyes Farm, Nashoba Conservation Trust, Elm St., Pepperell, Massachusetts 3/9/2012 · Groton Place and Sabine Woods, Groton, Massachusetts 10/20/2013 · Barrett Park, Leominster, Massachusetts 12/12/2020 · By Jacquelyn Boyt Young leaves. · 5/11/2016 · Pearl Hill State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts 5/22/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts 8/9/2010 · Keyes Farm, Nashoba Conservation Trust, Elm St., Pepperell, Massachusetts Does anyone know what causes the patterns on the bark? Young lichens? · 7/3/2012 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts 10/6/2011 · Shieling Forest, Peterborough, New Hampshire 7/5/2015 · Jeff Smith Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 12/12/2020 · By Jacquelyn Boyt 12/22/2011 · Rte. 225, West Groton, Massachusetts 2/18/2012 · Pearl Hill State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts 5/18/2013 · Oak Hill, Littleton Conservation Land, Littleton, Massachusetts Range: Zones 3-9:
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