American beech | The Morton Arboretum

Size & form:

American beech has a large open canopy with wide spreading branches. It grows 50-70 feet high and wide. The short trunk is a smooth gray with branches that sweep towards the ground.

Native geographic location and habitat:

C-Value: 5.  Native to most of the eastern U.S., this plant can be found growing along cool sites, such as slopes and ravines.

Bark color and texture:

Bark is smooth and silvery-gray in color.

Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, and texture:

Alternate, ovate leaves have toothed edges that are 2 to 5 inches long. Leaves are dark green in summer, changing to golden-bronze in fall. Leaf buds are over 1 inch long, sharply pointed and smooth, making them a good identification characteristic. Dried leaves will remain on the tree well into winter.

Flower arrangement, shape, and size:

Male and female flowers are separate but on the same tree (monoecious). Female flowers are small terminal spikes, while male flowers are in clusters that dangle. They are yellow-green and not showy.

Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions:

Fruit are edible beechnuts.  The three-sided, triangular nuts are enclosed in a prickly husk.