05 Jun What Tree? Common Beech
Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Our tree of interest this month is the common beech. Classified as a native species in the south of England it is thought to have arrived here around 4,000 BC, possibly introduced by Stone Age humans who used the nuts for food. ‘Fagus’ is Latin for ‘beech’, and the god Fagus was associated with beech trees in Celtic mythology.
The beech is one of our largest native trees, reaching heights of around 40m and producing a very heavy crown that throws a dense shadow, making it very difficult for anything to grow beneath it. Whilst the oak is considered to be the king of British trees, the beech is associated with femininity and is often considered to be the queen. However, under oaks with sparse leaf cover a beech would quickly surpass them in height, and due to the resulting dense foliage the oak would subsequently die from lack of sunlight.
Beech timber has a number of uses including fuel, flooring and furniture making, and is a popular hedging plant – if clipped it doesn’t lose its leaves, thereby providing a year-round screen.
Beech woodland
Appearance and Identification
The common beech is a deciduous tree with smooth silver-grey bark and a broad, spreading canopy. Mature trees can reach heights of up to 40m, with a trunk diameter that can exceed 1.5m.
Beech bark
Beech tree in winter
Reddish-brown, torpedo-shaped leaf buds form on short stalks lying on a single plane along the shoot.
Beech buds
The leaves of the beech are a vibrant green in spring and summer, turning to rich hues of yellow and brown in the autumn. They are ovate with a slightly wavy edge, and their distinctive sheen gives the beech canopy a lush, glossy appearance.
Beech leaves
The beech is monoecious, meaning that both male and female flowers grow on the same tree. In spring the tree produces small male catkins which hang from the ends of the twigs. Female flowers grow in pairs, and give way to pairs of triangular beech nuts once pollinated. The cup that contains them becomes woody, and the husks that fall around the tree prevent many woodland plants from growing.
Propagation and Control
The natural distribution of beech trees indicates a preference for well-drained limestone and chalky soils, although they will also tolerate mildly acidic soils. They can grow in full shade or full open sun. Managing beech forests requires a careful balance, as the trees can dominate and suppress the growth of other species. Foresters therefore often practice selective thinning to promote biodiversity within beech woodlands. Beech trees are also known to form natural monostands, which, while ecologically significant, may require intervention to maintain ecological balance in mixed forests.
Beech is resilient in nature, but does come under threat from various pests and diseases. The beech leaf-mining weevil and the green longhorn beetle can both cause visible harm to the beech’s leaves, and it can also be infected by beech bark disease. The bark of the beech is favoured by grey squirrels who will strip it from the topside of the branches, leaving them susceptible to failure.
Source and Reference Materials
Information detailed in this post has been obtained from the author’s own knowledge and photographic library where possible. Additional source of information and photographs include:
Van den Berk, B.V. (2004). Van den Berk on Trees. Van den Berk Nurseries.