Beech

Beech
European Beech leaves and cupules
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fagales
Family:	Fagaceae
Genus:	Fagus L.

The Beech is a large tree in the genus Fagus in the plant family Fagaceae. There are about 10 species, all native to Europe, Asia, and North America.

The flowers are small and single-sex (monoecious), the female flowers are carried in pairs, the male flowers are wind-pollinating catkins, produced in spring shortly after the new leaves appear. The bark is smooth and light grey. The fruit is a small, sharply three–angled nut 10–15 mm long. The nuts are edible, though bitter (though not nearly as bitter as acorns). They have a high tannin content, and are called beechnuts or beechmast.^[1]

Beech grows on a wide range of soil types, acid or basic, provided they are not wet for long periods. The tree canopy casts a heavy shade, and the leaves, when dropped, cover the ground thickly. Few plant grow under beech trees.^[1]

In North America, they often form Beech-Maple forests by growing together with the Sugar Maple.

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Location of the Primary Beech World Heritage Sites in Europe.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} The Tree Book. J. Edward Milner, Collins & Brown, London. 1992. ISBN 1855851326. pp. 14-17.