American Beech
Fagus grandifolia · Deciduous Broadleaf Hardwood
Plant Family
Fagaceae
Tree Category
Shade Tree / Forest Tree
Variety / Cultivar
Species type (wild type)
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.
About This Tree
A large, stately deciduous tree featuring a dense, rounded crown with widespreading branches, smooth silver-gray bark, and a moderate to slow growth rate.
Leaf Characteristics
Simple, alternate leaves, oblong-ovate in shape, 2.5 to 5 inches long, featuring distinctive prominent parallel veins running directly to sharply serrated leaf margins.
Bark Characteristics
Smooth, thin, light gray bark that retains its smooth texture even as the tree matures, often prone to human carving.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Eastern North America, ranging from Nova Scotia west to Ontario and Wisconsin, and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida.
Growing Season
Leafs out in mid-spring with bright green foliage, produces flowers in spring, develops small triangular beechnuts in autumn, drops leaves after turning golden bronze in late fall, and remains dormant through winter.
Sunlight & Water Needs
Prefers full sun to partial shade, requires medium to high soil moisture with good drainage, and has low drought tolerance.
Mature Size
Reaches a mature height of 50 to 80 feet with an equal or greater spread, growing at a slow to moderate rate with a long lifespan.
Special Characteristics
Known for smooth elephant-skin-like bark, rich golden-bronze fall color that often persists through winter (marcescence), and hard, heavy, strong timber.
Wildlife & Ecology
Supports a wide variety of wildlife including birds and mammals like squirrels, deer, and bears which feed on the high-energy beechnuts.