American Beech Tree

A mature American beech tree is known to grow up to 90-100 feet, having a spread of 50-70 feet. One of the distinct parts of the tree are its leaves, which grow with strong veins and toothed edges. The scientific name of this tree is Fagus grandifolia. This species belongs to the deciduous family of trees. The tree bears flowers of both sexes thus, is a monoecious plant.

Facts

• Although the American beech tree is known to attain a height of 90-100 feet, in home landscapes, it has been seen that the species rarely exceeds 50 feet.
• The true beauty of this tree is revealed during the fall. Then, the lush green foliage of the tree takes on a brilliant bronze shade, before fading to tan and falling off from the tree.
• The American beech tree prefers deep, rich, moist, and well-drained soils. Also, either partial shade or full sunlight is good enough for its light requirements.
• As observed by experts, this tree does not do well in urban areas, probably, because of the high levels of carbon monoxide.
• You may find it difficult to grow another plant beneath the tree. This is due to two reasons. Firstly, the leaves do not spare any space for sunlight to shine through them. Secondly, the root of the tree seems to spread all over the ground's surface, because of the shallow root system.
• As I have mentioned, this tree is an important part of the forestry. Many areas are populated with extensive groves of this tree species, because they could not be lumbered with axes and other traditional cutting mechanisms. This was because of the strong build of the tree, which is also hard, heavy and tough.
• The American beech tree is also one of the popular choices for purposes like flooring, making cabinets, toys, furniture, wooden-ware, etc. Paper manufacturing companies use a large amount of these trees for their business. Also, the wood from the tree is almost white.
• Another use of the tree is in the form of the tar. The main purpose of this substance is that of an additive. It helps in keeping other woods from rotting.
• The tree also produces nuts that form an important part of the diet of many animals. Common ones include opossums, black bears, white-tailed deer, rabbits, ruffed grouse, red squirrels, gray squirrels, flying foxes, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, raccoons, red/gray foxes, white tail deer, squirrels, pheasants, and black bears. These nuts are also used for commercial purposes by man.
• Another lesser know fact about this toughly built tree is its meaning. The native people regard this tree as a sign of tolerance, forgiveness and acceptance.
• According to experts, the tree has a life span of 300-400 years.

And to conclude, aphids, leaf miners, scales and borers are the common pests that affect the American beech tree. However, the tree has the ability to resist the damage and does recover from an infestation.