Fagus sylvatica - European Beech (Fagaceae) ------Fagus sylvatica is a graceful, slow-growing, large tree Texture for shade or specimen usage. European Beech has many -medium to fine texture in foliage and fine-textured cultivars available for growth habit and foliage when bare variation. -thick density in foliage and when bare (except in youth, when the branching is sparse and quite open) FEATURES Assets Form -dense shade at maturity -large deciduous tree -branching nearly to the ground -maturing at 60' tall x 40' wide -graceful or architecturally interesting branching, -upright oval depending upon cultivar growth habit -smooth medium-gray bark for the species -several foliage and growth habit variants and many -nuts attract wildlife in autumn cultivars Liabilities -slow growth -slow growth rate -awkwardly and sparsely branched in youth Culture -not urban tolerant -full sun to -surface roots with age partial shade Habitat -performs best -Zones 5 to 7 in deep, moist, -Native to Europe well-drained, slightly acid SELECTIONS soils Alternates -propagated by -large shade or specimen trees with alternative broadleaf grafting or foliage colors (Acer platanoides 'Crimson King', seeds 'Crimson Sentry', 'Drummondi', etc., Liriodendron -Beech Family, with no disease or pest problems of tulipifera 'Aureomarginatum' ; other species of trees significance, but does not respond well to urban stresses exist with this trait, but they are often weak-growing) -many cultivars are allowed to branch to just above the Cultivars – Variants – Related species ground -abundant availability in B&B form, including many cultivars -'Asplenifolia' - Cutleaf European Foliage Beech - deeply incised, almost fern- -medium to dark green and like foliage, yielding a very fine- short-petioled textured specimen tree in summer -ovate to elliptical, entire or somewhat crenate along the margins, usually with an undulating margin -autumn color yellowish -'Dawyckii' - Dawyck European Beech - a green, golden, or yellow- twisting columnar form, yielding an brown extremely narrow upright focal point tree Flowers -separate male and female flowers on the same tree (monoecious), flowering in late Apr. and early May -flowers are relatively insignificant and partially obscured by the expanding foliage Fruits -three-sided nuts, from 1-3 nuts per fruit, exposed as the -'Pendula' - Weeping European Beech bristly husk splits open in Sept. and Oct. -branches arch to yield a spreading, -readily devoured by squirrels and larger birds pendulous tree Twigs -somewhat thin stems, olive to brown, with prominently long, pointed, tan winter buds -twigs often lie more or less within the plane of the branch, for a layered branching habit -'Roseomarginata' ('Tricolor') - Tricolor European Trunk Beech - variegated foliage emerges dark bronzed with a -very thin and smooth, medium gray, and quite lavender margin, then turns to dark green and pink ornamental in winter during the summer, matures to light green and cream in early autumn, and finally becomes somewhat golden in USAGE late autumn Function -'Riversii' - Rivers European Beech - dark purple- -specimen, focal point, or wildlife attraction tree foliaged form, holding this color for most of the summer, becoming dark bronzed by late summer