Fagus sylvatica
Fagaceae
Late April to May
It is found throughout the country but is only native in the
Southeast.
See the BSBI distribution map for Beech
It is a native tree which grows in woodland and is widely
planted in large gardens and parks, and in hedges and
avenues.
Beech is a large, smooth trunked tree growing to 40m.
Male flowers are cream, stalked, hanging tassels
Female flowers are unstalked and erect.
Leaves are pale-green, soft and silky at first,
becoming dark-green, shiny and hairless later.
Seeds are shed in September.
Copper or Purple Beeches
Roughly 1 in a 1000 beech seedling have a copper colour.
They were selected in the ealy 1800s and, as they were
fertile, became part of the estate and garden flora. They
have also escaped and become naturalised in the UK.
In some years, seed is produced much more abundantly
than usual - these are known as mast years.
Following mast years, there is an increase in the survival of
rodents during the winter. This, in turn, enables rodent
populations to reach 10 times normal in spring. During the
subsequent summer months, the local human population
is a risk of epidemics of rodent-borne hantaviruses, for
example, HFRs (haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome).
This is much more of a problem for mainland Europe and
the USA than for the UK.
Previous page: Barren-worts
Next page: Bilberry
Beech tree, Batcombe, Dorset
New beech leaves and male flowers
Female flower above, male below
Dangling male flowers
Close-up of male flowers - anthers
Close-up of female flower - stigmas
Side view of female flower
Fruit - husk
Beech nuts - mast
Emerging seedlings - April
Leaf buds in spring
Newly emerged leaf
Mid-season leaves
Beech trunks
Close-up of Beech bark
Copper Beech, Kenwood, London
View into canopy
Copper Beech - newly emerged leaves
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