Fagus sylvatica – Hammond Arboretum

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#170 COMMON BEECH

Fagus sylvatica

Header image for Fagus sylvatica

Planted: 1960

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In the north east corner.

Distribution:	Widespread across Europe.
Planting Date:	Not mentioned in Mr Hammond’s planting book but could be self sown from the several Fagus sylvatica which were in situ and estimated by Mr Hammond as being over 100 years old.
Growth Habit:	Large deciduous tree but can be used in hedging as it regenerates well after pruning.
Bark:	The bark is smooth, thin and grey, often with slight horizontal etchings. Twigs are slender and grey but not straight – their shape resembles a zig-zag.
Leaf:	Torpedo-shaped leaf buds are coppery and up to 2 cm in length, with a distinctive criss-cross pattern. Deep purple in the spring, turning to a coppery hue in the autumn, oval and fringed with silky brown hairs.
Flowers:	Monoecious – both male and female flowers grow on the same tree. In April and May the tassel-like male catkins hang from long stalks at the end of twigs, while female flowers grow in pairs, surrounded by a cup.
Fruit:	Once wind-pollinated, the cup becomes woody and encloses one or two reddish- brown beech nuts (known as beechmast).
Toxicity:
Potential tree size	To 40 m
Uses:	The timber can be used for a variety of purposes, including fuel, furniture, cooking utensils, tool handles and sports equipment. The wood burns well and was traditionally used to smoke herring. The edible nuts, or masts, were once used to feed pigs, and in France they are still sometimes roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
Plant Hunter:
Introduction Date:	Although often regarded as native in southern England, recent evidence suggests that Fagus sylvatica did not arrive in England until about 4000 BC, or 2,000 years subsequent to the English Channel forming following the ice ages. It could have been an early introduction by humans, who used the nuts for food.
Anecdotes and Comments:	In Celtic mythology, Fagus was the god of beech trees. It was thought to have medicinal properties – beech leaves were used to relieve swellings in a poultice.