Fagus sylvatica
European Beech
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
50-60' tall & 35-45' wide, sometimes to 100' in the wild. Dense, pyramidal, or upright oval habit when young, becoming oval-rounded w/ age, w/ branches to the ground, creating a stately, formal outline. Slow to medium growth rate. Generally long-lived.
Native Range
Species native to Europe.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers: yellow-green, monoecious, male in globose heads, female in spikes w/ 2-4 flowers. April-early May, w/ emerging leaves, or after leaf emergence. Fruits: triangular nuts, 5/8" long, usually 2 enclosed in a long, hard, woody, 4-lobed husk covered w/ bristles, borne singly in an erect pubescent pedicle.
Leaf and Bark Features
Deciduous: Leaves: simple, alternate, w/ an undulating, generally untoothed margin, 2-5" long & 1.5-3" wide, ovate to elliptic in shape, w/ an acute tip, silky & hairy when young, becoming glabrous, w/ 5-9 pairs of veins, & a 1/4-1/2" long, downy petiole. Leaves dark green above, light green below. Rich russet/golden/bronze fall color. Leaves slow to emerge in spring, & hold late into fall, or even stay on the tree after turning brown & through winter, especially on younger trees. Notable Bark: Young twigs are olive-brown. Bark is smooth, gray, usually darker than the American Beech, developing an elephant hide appearance on old trunks.
Culture and Care
Prefers moist, organic, well-drained, acid to slightly alkaline soil (pH 5.5-7.5). Will not withstand wet or compacted soils, or soil oxygen concentration below 15%. Likes full sun to part shade. Slightly more adaptable to different soil conditions than the American Beech (F. grandifolia), but otherwise similar. Zone 4-7. Some bark cankers and disease problems have been reported, most notably occurring at or originating from damaged portions of the bark. Few serious pests.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
Highly recommended as a fine specimen tree by author and plantsman, Dr. Michael Dirr. Numerous named selections available, each with a unique appearance. Good wildlife value. 4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall & winter. Shallow root system makes it difficult to grow grass under this tree. Gets cold damage on exposed sites in winter temperatures below -20 degrees F. One way to distinguish this tree from the American Beech is that the European Beech has a wavy leaf margin with no teeth, while the American Beech leaf margins are toothed.
Suggested Uses
Makes an outstanding specimen tree on sites where soil compaction can be avoided. Also good in parks. May be maintained as a hedge if kept trimmed from its youth.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Fagus sylvatica // European Beech ("straight species")
Tree.
BT001130Fagus sylvatica 'Asplenifoila' // Asplenifolia European Beech
Tree. 60' tall and 50' wide. Dense, oval form with low branches. Gracefully cut, long, slender, deeply-lobed leaves have a fern-like appearance and golden brown fall color. Makes a beautiful specimen shade tree. Zone 5(4)-7. This cultivar is a favorite of author and plantsman, Dr. Michael Dirr. Often confused with 'Laciniata'.
BT007430bFagus sylvatica 'Dawyck Purple' // Dawyck Purple European Beech
Tree. Leaves are a dark purple color. Average mature size: 55' tall and 15' wide, and the tops of shoots turn slightly inward. Originated from a 1969 seedling of 'Dawyck' Beech, which was a tall, narrow beech collected from the wild in Dawyck, Scotland in 1907. Narrow-columnar habit. Leaves start out deep reddish-purple or coppery-bronze in spring, then darkening to burgundy-purple. Smooth, pale gray bark. Zone 4-7. Needs full sun to light shade. Resistant to rabbits, slugs and snails. Coppery-bronze fall color. Tolerates sand, loam or clay, as long as the drainage is adequate. Drought-tolerant once established. Avoid planting near driveways and patios, since surface roots and honeydew from aphids could be problems. Specimen, vertical accent or tall screen plant.
BT007400Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula' // Weeping European Beech
Tree. Weeping habit. Old specimens can cover an area the size of a basketball court. No two plants are exactly alike… which keeps this cultivar interesting and fun to watch, as it develops its own unique weeping style. Avoid wet, poorly-drained sites. Branches sometimes go horizontal for a while before turning downwards. Other trees have a central leader with branches hanging down directly from it at various angles. This cultivar is a favorite of author and plantsman, Dr. Michael Dirr. Deer resistant. Gets 40-60' tall, with a variable spread, depending on whether the branches shoot straight down or if they grow out horizontally before drooping. Often 20-45' wide, but can eventually get wider than it is tall. Good golden or golden-bronze fall color.
BT003810cFagus sylvatica 'Purple Fountain' // Purple Fountain European Beech
Tree. Strong, upright-columnar form, with a narrow silhouette. Purple, glossy, oval leaves, which are not as dark as 'Purpurea Pendula', fade in the summer heat. Introduced in 1975 by Grootendorst. Originated as a seedling of 'Purpurea Pendula'. Young plants may be 12' tall & 3' wide. Average mature size 25' tall and 12-15' wide, with a narrow, upright growth habit, with a central stem from which the branches hang down in a loose, cascading fashion. Needs no pruning to maintain its graceful shape. Mulch and keep moist. Fall color is yellow, then orange-brown.
BT002290bFagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Pendula' // Purple Weeping European Beech
Tree. Purple leaves fade to light purple or purplish-green in summer heat. Only 6' tall after 15 years. Average mature size 10-12' tall and wide. Does not develop a central leader for its weeping branches, and has a very slow growth rate. Leaves, to 4" long, have prominent, parallel veins. Forms a broad, arching mushroom to mounded haystack shape, with weeping branches. Originated in Germany in 1865. Deer resistant. Foliage turns golden-bronze in the fall.
BT007410bFagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Tricolor' // Purple Tricolor Beech
Tree. Purple leaves are edged and striped with rose and pinkish-white or purple in the center with a creamy-white and/or pink margin. Average mature size 10-20' tall and wide. Leaves narrower than usual. May be the same as 'Roseomarginata', introduced in 1883. Needs partial shade to avoid summer leaf scorch and browning around the creamy-white leaf margins. Also, mulch and keep moist to avoid this. Fall color is a good bronze-gold. Many authorities consider this to be the same as 'Roseomarginata' and 'Tricolor', although those cultivars commonly reach 30' in height, and 'Tricolor' may have no purple in the otherwise green/pink/white foliage.
BT001031Fagus sylvatica 'Riversii' // Riversii European Beech
Tree. Pyramidal to oval-rounded shape. Grows slowly to 50' tall by 40' wide. Spring leaves emerge very dark, blackish-purple. The large (to 5"), glossy, deep purple leaves may hold their color throughout the summer, but usually change to purplish-green. Needs full sun to part shade. Deer resistant. Fruits (nuts) are edible in small quantities. This cultivar is a favorite landscape tree of author and plantsman, Dr. Michael Dirr. Originally from England. Fall foliage turns to a copper color.
-- not currently in our collection --Fagus sylvatica 'Rohanii' // Rohanii European Beech
Tree. A sturdy, strong, vigorous grower. Upright, pyramidal-oval habit. Grows to 14' tall and 8' wide after 10 years. Eventually gets 40-60' tall and 30-50' wide. Foliage is bronze-purple to brownish-purple in color. Fall color is orange-brown. Leaf margins undulating, with rounded, shallow teeth… unusual for a European Beech. Becomes more greenish with summer heat. Originated from a cross between a purple beech and Fagus sylvatica 'Quercifolia' in 1894. Needs full sun to part shade. Deer resistant. Fruits (nuts) are edible in small quantities. This tree was first discovered at the estate of Prince Camille de Rohan of Bohemia in the late 1800's, thus the cultivar name.
-- not currently in our collection --Fagus sylvatica 'Sparthiana' // Spaeth European Beech
Tree. A stout-trunked, oval tree, 50' tall and 40' wide. Leaves are a beautiful, deep purple color, with lighter colored veins. The foliage holds its purple better than any other purple beech. New leaves are dark, glossy, metallic purple. Leaves are smaller and darker purple than 'Riversii' Beech. Fall foliage turns bronze to coppery-gold. The tree leafs out about a week later and drops fall foliage later than most other beeches. Zone 5-7. Introduced by Spath Nursery in Berlin, Germany about 1920.
BT001617Fagus sylvatica f. cristata // Curly-leaved European Beech
Tree. Leaves borne on very short petioles, in crinkled, congested clusters at tips of branches, & at nodes along the branches. Leaves have coarse, triangular teeth along the margins. Tips of leaves are curled and crumpled into a tight cluster like a cockscomb. The deep green leaves are compressed & clustered into terminal tufts or whorls, with virtually no petioles, creating a bunched fan of leaves in patches on the thin, wiry stems & branches, giving a ruffled appearance. Habit changes from pyramidal to oval. Leaves twisted, curled, cupped and folded tightly together in groups or bunches. Zone 5(4)-7. Gets 30-40' tall and 20-25' wide. Needs well-drained soil & full sun/part shade. A rare form, but cultivated for more than a century, Golden-bronze fall color.
BT001542Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis // Oriental Beech
Tree. Larger, more obovate leaves than most European Beech cultivars; otherwise similar. Nuts in bristly husks. Oriental Beech has unique, flattened, leaf-Iike appendages at the base of the husk around the nut, whereas European Beech has slender, soft spines. A very large tree, w/ shiny, dark green leaves to 7" long, sometimes 150' tall in the wild, but usually more like 60-90' in landscape plantings, with a spreading, rounded crown. Golden yellow to yellowish-brown fall color. Takes acid or alkaline soils. Native to the lower elevations of Eurasia, E. Europe & Western Asia, Greece, Bulgaria, Russia, & Iran. Often grows near, & hybridizis w/ the straight species of European Beech in The Balkans and northwest Turkey, yielding Fagus x taurica offspring.
-- not currently in our collection --