Fagus grandifolia

COMMON NAME: American Beech

FAMILY: Beech Family; Fagaceae

GROWTH HABIT:

FOLIAGE: Leaves ovate-oblong, coarsely serrate, 2 1/2- 5 in. long, with 9-14 pairs of veins.

BUDS: Very long (sometimes nearly 1 in.), narrow, cylindrical, sharp-pointed, scaly buds.

BARK: Thin, smooth, light bluish gray almost silvery on young stems; similar on mature trees but darker.

FLOWERS: Male and females flowers separate on the same tree; male in round heads, female in 2- to 4-flowered spikes. usually flowers in April to early May.

FRUIT: Nut, solitary or 2 to 3, partly or wholly enclosed by a prickly 4-parted involucre; nut is edible.

NATURAL HISTORY: Usually found in moist woods.

NATIVE HABITAT: New Brunswick to Ontario, south to Florida and Texas. Introduced 1800.