The most common deciduous tree in our forests is the European beech. The deciduous tree gets its name not because of its leaves, but because of its slightly reddish wood. European beeches are planted in forests, parks and gardens as individual trees and beech hedges.
What is a profile of the European beech?
The common beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a deciduous deciduous tree that can grow up to 40 meters high and be 300 years old. It is native to Europe, has egg-shaped, slightly serrated leaves and produces inconspicuous flowers, followed by beechnuts. Their reddish wood is used for furniture construction and firewood.
The European beech – a profile
- Latin name: Fagus sylvatica
- Common name: Beech
- Plant family: Beech family
- Species: approx. 250
- Occurrence: Europe
- Tree type: deciduous tree
- Age: up to 300 years, average age 150 years
- Height: up to 40 meters, occasionally even higher
- Bark: silver-gray, smooth, often grained
- Root: wide spreading shallow root
- Leaves: green or red (copper beech)
- Leaf shape: egg-shaped, wavy, only slightly serrated
- Leaf size: 5 – 11 cm long, 3 – 8 cm wide
- Flowers: inconspicuous, male flower with long stalk, female flower with short stalk
- Flowering period: April to May
- Fruits: beechnuts, brown fruit shell with 2 - 4 nuts
- Fruit ripening: from September
- Toxicity: Beechnuts contain oxalic acid and fagin
- Use: furniture construction, firewood, single tree, hedge plant, bonsai
The use of European beech in timber construction
The common beech has a very evenly grained wood in a light, slightly reddish tone. In a favorable location, European beeches form very thick trunks without branches.
The wood is very hard, but easy to work with. That's why European beech is often used in furniture construction.
Beech wood also has a high calorific value. It is made into charcoal and used to smoke meat and fish. Beech wood is also very popular as firewood.
That's why copper beeches are popular hedge plants
Common beeches are not only popular as individual trees in parks or along streets. The deciduous trees are also very popular as hedge plants because they grow very quickly.
A common beech tree grows between 40 and 50 centimeters in height and width per year.
Although the common beech is a deciduous tree, the leaves often hang on the tree until spring. A beech hedge therefore forms a good privacy screen in the garden even in winter.
Common beeches are slightly poisonous
The substances oxalic acid and fagin contained in beechnuts are slightly toxic. By heating, for example roasting, the toxins are broken down and beechnuts are tolerated by humans.
In times of hunger, beechnuts used to be used as a food substitute.
Forest animals tolerate beechnuts well, while horses can get poisoned from beechnuts.
Difference between common beech and hornbeam
The difference between common beech and hornbeam is not obvious at first glance. The leaves of the common beech are finer and do not feel as “old”. They are not as strongly sawn as the leaves of the hornbeam.
The hornbeam wood is the hardest wood in Europe. In contrast to red beech wood, it is used for shipbuilding, wooden parquet and tool making.
Tip
It is often assumed that the words book or letter are based on the fact that the letters were once scratched into the solid beech wood. The origin of the word can probably be traced back to the Germanic word for rune sticks, “boks”.
