Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.

American Beech

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

American Beech is a native deciduous tree in the Beech family (Fagaceae). It is found throughout Alabama. American Beech occurs in rich bottomland forests, on slopes, in ravines, and in coves. It can grow to a height of 120 feet, but is typically between eighty and one hundred feet in height. American Beech has distinctive smooth gray bark. It is a favorite site for vandals to carve their initials, and most trees in public areas are scarred. The alternate leaves are toothed. They turn a bright yellow in the autumn before turning brown. They often persist on the tree throughout the winter months. The twigs are slender with long buds at their tips. The edible fruit is a three-winged nut enclosed in a spiky involucre (bur). Beech nuts are eagerly sought after by wildlife. American Beech makes a nice specimen tree, but its use is limited by its large size. It is a slow growing species and takes many years (up to forty) to begin producing nuts. It also has a shallow root system that prevents most other plants from growing under it. American Beech along with Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora Linnaeus) are both slow growing, fire intolerant species that dominated the climax vegetation in areas protected from fire on the Coastal Plain where the ranges of the two species overlap.--A. Diamond

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Native FACU (NWPL)

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