American Beech Tree (Fagus grandifolia)

American Beech is a variety of beech tree that hails from eastern North America. Sometimes, the American beech is planted as a decorative tree, but even within its inhabitant area, it is set much less frequently than the European beech. Even though American beech can manage the hotter type of weather, its European alternative is quicker-growing and more pollution-lenient, besides being easier to spread. The American beech tree is a shade-forbearing variety, preferring shade more than other varieties in its family. These trees are mostly found in forests in the last stage of succession.

Features

The American Beech is a deciduous tree that is capable of growing up to a height, ranging from 20 meters to 35 meters, with soft, silver-gray colored bark. The leaves of this tree variety are dark green in color, plain and thinly-toothed with tiny teeth that cease each vein. These leaves appear with a length, ranging from 6 cm to 12 cm, with a small petiole. The winter branches are unique among North American tree varieties, being slender and long typically 15 mm to 20 mm by 2 mm to 3 mm with two lines of overlie scales on the sprouts. The buds of the American Beech tree are noticeably skinny and long, looking like cigarettes. This feature makes these tree varieties comparatively easy to recognize.

American Beech trees are monoecious, with the flowers of both genders on the same tree. The fruits of these trees are a miniature, piercingly-angled nut, stands in pairs in a flexible-spine, four-lobed shell. It boasts two modes of reproducing such that one is in the course of the normal dispersion of seedlings, and the other is in the course of root sprouts. This is where the American Beech tree will have minor trees growing from its roots in diverse locations.

Uses

The American beech is a significant tree in forestry. The wood of this tree variety is hard, heavy, tough and sturdy, and its wood is used to make power tools. The wood of this tree is also used to make containers, flooring, furnishings, Woodenware and handles.

According to the tree specialists, the American beech tree has a lifespan, ranging from 300 years to 400 years.