Identifying characteristics:
The American beech is a beautiful, large tree 70 to 80 feet tall with a
stem diameter of 2 to 3 feet. The clear, straight trunk supports a compact,
narrow to rounded crown with slender, spreading branches. The 2.5- to 6-inch
long leaves are alternate, simple,
elliptical to oblong-ovate with long, pointed apices. The margins are remotely
serrate with small, sharp teeth and the parallel veins run to the tips of
the teeth. The short-petioled leaves are a deep, blue-green above and yellow-green
below and have small stipules. Fine, white, threadlike hairs can be seen
extending from the margin when the leaf is viewed against a dark background.
Fall coloring is golden yellow or copper. The tiny flowers,
appearing in spring after the leaves, are without petals and wind-pollinated.
The fruit is a triangular, edible
nut. Two to three nuts are enclosed in a woody, four-part bur covered with
short, weak spines. Nuts mature in about 1 year. Buds are long, lance-shaped,
with numerous brown scales. The thin bark
is a light gray and often mottled, remaining smooth throughout the life
of the tree.
Similar species:
- European beech (F. sylvatica)
Ecology:
Distribution: Of the 10 species that exist, only this species is
native to North America. The American beech is a common forest tree in most
of the eastern US to Wisconsin, extreme eastern and southern Illinois, and
southeast Missouri.
Habitat: Sensitive to heat and dryness, it does not do well in Iowa, but if planted in moist, well-drained soil in a cool, sheltered position, it will grow in the eastern and central parts of the state. This tree is slow-growing and long-lived-200 years or more. Most tree deaths are caused by drought. Beech bark disease is the most important disease, caused by infestations by beech scale insects followed by bark fungus infection. When stressed, trees are susceptible to leaf mottle or leaf scorch, a disease noted since the 1940's-the cause of which is not known. Diseased leaves will drop prematurely in July and a new, healthy set of leaves will grow. Pests include the chestnut borer, various caterpillars, aphid and scale.
Uses:
Wood: The wood is strong, heavy, hard and, though not naturally
durable, is commercially important. The wood is used for floors, handles,
the bent parts of furniture, wooden kitchenware, crates, charcoal, pulp
and many other products.
Wildlife: Beechnuts are eaten by birds and mammals, especially squirrels and chipmunks.
Horticulture: Although an attractive shade tree, the American beech is seldom planted as an ornamental as it cannot tolerate trampling of the soil or common city conditions, and the shallow roots and dense foliage restrict the maintenance of a lawn around the tree.
