American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
Smooth silver-gray bark and a canopy so dense that little grows beneath it — the climax tree of the eastern hardwood forest, holding coppery marcescent leaves through winter. It supports well over a hundred caterpillar species. The small triangular nuts are sweet and the young spring leaves make a mild potherb, though large quantities of raw seed can be toxic.
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 50–80 ft
- Spacing
- 40–80 ft apart
- Light
- part shade, shade
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- April, May
- Bloom colors
- yellow, green, brown
- Wildlife value
- songbirds, butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~127 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- border, naturalizing
- Native states
- AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV