Beech trees are not planted for their flowers, but for their foliage. The flowers are very inconspicuous. Beech blossoms can cause allergies in sensitive people. Interesting facts about beech blossoms.
When and how does the beech tree bloom?
Beech flowers are inconspicuous and appear at the same time as the leaves in late April to May. The trees bear both male and female flowers and first bloom when they are 20 to 30 years old. Rich flowering years are called mast years.
A beech tree has male and female flowers
Beeches are unisexual and monoecious. This means that both male and female flowers appear on a tree.
The female flowers grow in pairs in a shell with four valves, which forms into a hard cup over the course of the year. The seeds, the beechnuts, ripen in there. The male flowers hang down in clusters.
The blossoms begin to sprout at the same time as the leaves emerge.
When is the beech blossoming time?
After budding, it takes two to three weeks until the flowering period begins. It begins at the end of April and lasts until May.
When does a beech tree bloom for the first time?
Beech trees bloom for the first time when they are 20 to 30 years old. Fruits capable of germinating only appear after around 40 years of age. If the beech tree is cut frequently, it will not bloom.
The flowers become fruit
The fruits, the beechnuts, grow from pollinated flowers in autumn. The slightly poisonous nuts ripen in September and October.
Beech trees do not bloom abundantly every year. Some years the trees don't bloom at all and no seeds grow. Years with a lot of flowers are called mast years.
Tip
Beech trees are pollinated by wind and insects. Squirrels, birds and mice reproduce. They bring the fallen beechnuts to more distant places where they germinate in spring.