Fagus grandifolia aka American Beech

American beech, Fagus grandifolia, is a deciduous tree in the beech family, Fagaceae. It grows wild across eastern North America. Its range runs from New Brunswick and Ontario south to Florida. To the west it reaches Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. The species name means large-leaved, and its leaves are bigger than those of European beech.

This is a big, slow-growing tree with a short trunk and low, wide branches. In gardens it usually reaches 50 to 75 feet (15 to 23 m) tall. Its spread often matches or nearly matches its height. Open-grown trees may spread far wider, and forest trees can reach 120 feet (37 m). The RHS gives a smaller UK size of around 40 feet (12 m). Lower limbs often sweep down to touch the ground. In crowded sites the tree grows more upright.

The bark is thin, smooth and pale silvery grey, and it stays smooth with age. On old trees it can look wrinkled, rather like elephant hide. Twigs are slender and zigzag, with long, narrow, pointed buds. The leaves are simple, alternate and toothed, with straight parallel veins ending in small teeth. They are glossy dark green above and paler below. In autumn they turn golden bronze, then fade to tan. Many dead leaves cling on through winter.

Male and female flowers appear on the same tree as the leaves open in spring. They are small, greenish yellow and of little ornamental value. Male flowers hang in round heads on long stalks. The fruit is a prickly brown husk that splits to release two or three triangular nuts. The nuts ripen in September and October. Birds, deer, bears, foxes, turkeys and many small mammals feed on them.

American beech grows best in full sun but copes with partial shade. It wants moist, loose, well-drained, acid soil. It dislikes wet or compacted ground and does not suit dry climates. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 and rated H6 in the UK. The shallow, wide roots can form large surface roots and send up suckers. Grass struggles in the dense shade beneath it. This tree needs a large space such as a park, campus, big lawn or naturalized woodland. It makes a fine shade tree and also works for screening. Deer tend to leave it alone. The hard, strong wood goes into flooring, furniture, tool handles and charcoal.

Pests and diseases are usually minor on healthy trees. Aphids and beech scale can attack it. Beech scale can open the way for beech bark disease, which has no reliable cure. Powdery mildew, leaf spots, bleeding canker and bracket fungi may also appear. Honey fungus is an occasional threat. Stressed trees may suffer borers or leaf scorch in hot, dry spells. The nuts are edible raw or cooked in small amounts. Eating large quantities may upset the stomach, and the nuts may harm dogs.