Trees🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -25°C

Beech

Fagus sylvatica

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Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a native deciduous tree of old forests, forest edges, avenues, hedgerows and landscape planting. The tree is recognizable by the smooth gray bark, ovoid to elliptical leaves with wavy edges and the dense, shady crown. Young leaf is fresh green and soft-hairy; in autumn it turns yellow-brown to copper-brown. In May, Beech blooms with inconspicuous male and female flowers on the same tree. The species is wind-pollinated. In autumn, beechnuts ripen in prickly husks. Beech grows best on humus-rich, loamy, moisture-retentive and well-drained soil. The species fits well as a native tree, forest tree, avenue tree, landscape tree, hedge plant and shady garden planting.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Jan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Nov, Dec

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

Beech tolerates pruning well as a hedge or topiary tree. Prune beech hedges usually in June-July and possibly lightly in winter. Prune large trees as little as possible; remove only dead, damaged or unwanted branches.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Sun, Half shade, Shade

Soil type: Sand, Loam, Humus-rich, Clay

Moisture need: Moderately moist, Moist

pH: Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5), Neutral (6.5–7.5), Chalky (>7.5)

Nutrient richness: Nutrient-poor, Moderately nutrient-rich

Humus content: Moderately humus-rich, Humus-rich

Water drainage: Well draining, Moisture-retentive

Appearance & season

Mature height: 2000cm-3000cm

Bloom: Apr-May

Autumn colour: Yellow-brown, copper-brown to red-brown. On young trees and beech hedges, the withered leaf often remains on the plant for a long time in winter.

Properties

Salt sensitive: Yes

Edible: Yes, beechnuts are edible in small quantities after roasting. They taste nutty, mildly bitter and slightly oily, but are not suitable raw or in large quantities due to slightly toxic substances.

Scent: The flowers have no strong or conspicuous scent. Beech is mainly wind-pollinated and attracts few flower visitors.

Ecological value

Beech is valuable as a large native forest tree with a lot of structure, shade, leaf litter and fruits. The beechnuts are food for birds, mice, squirrels and other small mammals. Old beeches also provide living space for hole-nesting birds, bats, mushrooms, mosses, lichens and dead-wood organisms. The flowers are mainly wind-pollinated and are not an important nectar source. The greatest ecological value lies in the tree structure, shelter, nuts, old trunks, root zone and the role of Beech as a climax tree in deciduous forests.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsUseful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesLimited

🪰 HoverfliesLimited

🦋 ButterfliesUseful

🪲 Beetles & insectsExtremely useful

🐦 BirdsVery useful

🐿️ MammalsExtremely useful

🐞 Other animalsVery useful

Beech is especially valuable as a large native structural tree. The species provides shade, nesting, beechnuts and plenty of living space for forest animals, insects, fungi and dead-wood species.

Distribution in the Netherlands