Common Name: American Beech

General Information

Fagus grandifolia is a deciduous tree with a dense, spreading crown; it usually grows 20 - 25 metres tall, occasionally reaching 30 metres. The tree spreads by means of root suckers and can in time form a colony of plants[, ].
The tree is an important timber crop in America, where it is harvested on a commercial basis from the wild. It was an important tree for the native Americans who harvested it for food, medicine and a range of materials. The seeds are still harvested and sometimes sold in local markets. It is occasionally grown as a shade tree.

Known Hazards

The seeds of the various species of beech are generaly edible and wholesome. However, they do contain a saponic glycoside and, if eaten in quantity (especially if eaten raw), they can cause stomach upsets[].

Botanical References

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Range

Eastern N. America - Wisconsin, southern Ontario to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, south to eastern Texas and northern Florida

Habitat

Rich uplands and mountain slopes, often forming nearly pure forests[]. In the south of its range it is also found on the margins of streams and swamps[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Fagus grandifolia is a very cold-hardy tree, tolerating temperatures down to around -30°c when dormant. It grows best in areas with hot summers. In areas with cooler summers (even if the winters are mild), such as the maritime regions of the temperate zone, it often grows poorly, failing to properly ripen its wood and suffering frost damage over the winter[, ].
Grows best in a sunny position, though young trees are also very shade tolerant, surviving in deep woodland shade for several years and then able to grow fairly rapidly if an opening occurs. Thrives on a light or medium soil[], doing well on chalk[], but ill-adapted for heavy wet soils[]. The new growth in spring, especially on young plants, is very subject to frost damage - growing small plants in the dappled shade of a woodland is usually sufficient to protect them[].
A slow-growing tree, it can live for more than 300 years[].
The tree takes 40 - 60 years before large quantities of seed are produced[]. Good crops are then produced every 2 - 3 years in the wild[].
The seeds are dispersed after the first frosts[], they are sometimes gathered and sold in local markets in N. America[, ].
This species produces suckers[] and often forms thickets in the wild[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[]. A very nice mild flavour but the leaves quickly become tough so only the youngest should be used. New growth is usually produced for 2 periods of 3 weeks each year, one in spring and one in mid-summer.

Seed - raw or cooked. Small but very sweet and nutritious[, , , , ], it is sold in local markets in Canada and some parts of America[]. Rich in oil, the seed also contains up to 22% protein[]. The raw seed should not be eaten in large quantities since it is believed to cause enteritis[, ]. It can be dried and ground into a powder, then used with cereal flours in making bread, cakes etc[]. The germinating seeds can be eaten raw, they are tender, crisp, sweet and nutty[]. nut 15-20 × 10-18 mm wide, glabrous or puberulent, often hollow even when full-sized[].

The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[, ].

An edible semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed[, ]. Beech nuts contain a considerable amount of valuable oil which is extracted by pressing. Apart from its applications for food, this oil is used as adulterant for walnut, poppy, or olive oil[].

Inner bark[]. Dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the boiled leaves has been used as a wash and poultice to treat frostbite, burns, poison ivy rash etc[, , ].

The nuts have been eaten as a vermifuge[, ].

A tea made from the bark has been used in the treatment of lung ailments[, ]. It has also been used to procure an abortion when the mother was suffering[].

A creosote made from beech wood is used to treat various human and animal disorders[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Beech trees generally have surface-feeding roots and also cast a dense shade - this greatly inhibits the growth of other plants and, especially where a number of the trees are growing together, the ground beneath them is often almost devoid of vegetation[, ].

Other Uses

A semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed by pressing. It can be used as a fuel for lighting, as a lubricant, for polishing wood etc[, , , , , , ].

The leaves and the bark are used to make dyes[].

The wood has a very high caloric value. On dry distillation it yields alcohol and creosote[].

The heartwood is reddish-brown in colour; it is not demarcated from the sapwood. The grain is straight, the texture fine and even. The wood is strong, hard, heavy, very close grained, not very durable and subject to attack by the furniture beetle. It has excellent steam-bending properties, with high crushing strength, medium stiffness and resistance to shock loads. It dries fairly rapidly and well, but with a strong tendency to warp, split and surface check. Once dry there is moderate movement in service. It works readily with most hand and machine tools, but with a tendency to bind on the saw and to burn in crosscutting and drilling. It has good nailing and gluing properties and can be stained and polished to a good finish. It is an excellent wood for turnery[, , , ]. It weighs 43lb per cubic foot[]. A valuable timber, it is used for furniture, flooring, tool handles, crates, veneer etc. It is particularly suitable for food containers because it does not impart taste or odour[, ].
The wood is an excellent fuel, burning well and giving off a lot of heat. It makes an excellent quality charcoal that can also be used in artwork[, ].

Propagation

Seed - the seed has a short viability and is best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. Protect the seed from mice. Germination takes place in the spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seedlings are slow growing for the first few years and are very susceptible to damage by late frosts.
The seed can also be sown in an outdoor seedbed in the autumn. The seedlings can be left in the open ground for three years before transplanting, but do best if put into their final positions as soon as possible and given some protection from spring frosts.
Division of suckers[].