Beech types from A-Z: List with pictures

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Similar named genera
Hornbeam
Hop beech
False beech

Beeches (Fagus) from the beech family have a wide distribution area. Of the approximately eleven species, however, only two are native to Europe, the common beech (Fagus sylvatica) and the oriental beech (Fagus orientalis). In German forests they are the most common deciduous trees. In contrast to European beech and copper beech, hornbeam, beech and hop beech are not beeches, even if their name suggests otherwise. They belong to the birch or birch family. Beech family.

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Beeches are one of the so-called periderm trees
Trees that do not form a bark or only form a bark when they are old
Deciduous trees with heights of up to 40 m
The bark is silver-gray and smooth
Leaves are oblong-ovate, pointed to acuminate
The leaf color is green, with the exception of the copper beech
Copper beech, a mutation of the European beech with reddish leaves
Beeches have female and male flowers (monoecious)

Flowers and fruits after 10-15 years at the earliest
Flowers rather inconspicuous

In this country they are valued primarily because of the particular hardness of the wood, which is why they are among the most important Timber belong. They owe their popularity to their triangular, chestnut brown nut fruits, the so-called beechnuts. They contain up to 50% oil, which is why they are used for oil production. However, the main use is in the use of the wood. Even if all beech species are very similar in their appearance, there are still some unmistakable characteristics that can be used to identify each individual beech species.

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American beech (Fagus grandifolia)

Grows as a medium-sized tree
Heights of up to 30 m
Forms a spreading to round and dense crown
Leaves are 5-12 cm long, up to 7 cm wide
The upper surface of the leaf is glossy blue-green, but the underside is lighter
Toothed leaf margins
Petiole only 3-8 mm long
The leaves turn orange-yellow to brownish in autumn
Natural range in eastern and northern Central America
In North America, however, it is the only naturally occurring species of beech

Chinese beech (Fagus sinensis)

Reaches heights of up to 25 m
Growth is rather slender, with a nicely built crown
Native to northern Vietnam as well as southern and central China
Leaves are 9-15 cm long
Leaf margins are serrated and bulged
Leaf stalks are 1.0-3.5 cm long
Leaf tops are fresh green, smooth and shiny
Blue-green undersides, fine and densely hairy
Autumn color then orange-yellow

Englers beech (Fagus engleriana)

Native to the south and east of China
Grows to a height of 15 to 25 m
Stalked leaves are bluish-green and 4-9 cm long
The leaves turn orange-yellow in autumn
Leaf undersides except for the silky hairy veins, glabrous
Flowering time is from April to May
Small catkins tend to be inconspicuous

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Shiny beech (Fagus lucida)

Native to several provinces in east and south China
Reaches heights between 20 and 25 m
Glossy green leaves are 5-10 cm long
Leaf margins slightly serrated
Leaves smooth and hairless with the exception of the silky hairy main nerve
Leaf stalks are up to 2 cm long
Young leaves enjoyed in moderation, edible
Have a rather mild aroma

tip: Flour is ground from the dried beechnuts to make bread. Roasted they are also used as a coffee substitute and fresh for oil production.

Japanese beech (Fagus japonica)

Also known as Japanese blue beech
Natural range is in Japan
Grows mainly as a multi-stemmed tree with heights of up to 25 m
Young shoots mostly glabrous
The name 'blue beech' refers to the bluish color of the leaves
Leaves 5-9 cm long and 2.5-4.5 cm wide
Leaf margins slightly notched to entire
Upper sides of the leaves are bluish-green
Undersides are yellowish green
Leaf stalk is about 1 cm long
It is mainly cultivated as an ornamental wood

Notched beech (Fagus crenata)

Notched beech is also native to Japan
Reaches a stately size of up to 35 m there
Rarely to be found in Central Europe
Forms a dense treetop with dark green leaves
Leaves have a wavy, notched edge
Autumn color of the leaves is golden brown
In their natural home they are mainly designed as bonsai
Bonsai design is very important there

tip: The seeds of the notched beech are roasted and then used as a substitute for coffee or to produce oil.

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Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis)

Natural home is Asia Minor, the Eastern Balkans, the Caucasus and Northern Iran
Grows up to 40 m
Dense, conical crown with rising branches
Very fast growing in the first few years
Sprouts 2-3 weeks earlier than Fagus sylvatica
Leaves are 6-12 cm long
The petiole is 0.5-1.5 cm long and has silky hairs
Leaf tops are glabrous, dark blue-green and light yellow-green veined
Leaf margins are finely hairy, entire, wavy or wavy-indented
Noticeably large buds
Above all, the wood is used

Common beech (Fagus sylvatica)

The only beech species native to Germany
Can reach heights of 20-30 m
Grows to an old age of around 250 years
The name does not refer to the color of the leaves
The decisive factor, however, was the slightly reddish shimmering color of the wood
Leaves are up to 10 cm long and 5 cm wide
Leaf margins are wavy
Leaves glossy dark green from May to July
Turn brown from August to October
Petiole is 1.0-1.5 cm long
Flowers appear at the same time as the leaves
Copper beech, hornbeam and fern-leaved red beech are ornamental species of Fagus sylvatica

Taiwanese beech (Fagus hayatae)

The natural home of the Taiwanese beech is China
In particular, the provinces of Sichuan and Zhejiang are indigenous
Grows there in summit regions of deciduous forests and on mountain slopes
Can reach heights of up to 20 m
Bluish coloration of the leaves and wood, however, is rare
However, it is mainly cultivated as an ornamental wood
Leaves are 3-7 cm long, edges serrated and bulged
Young leaves with silky hairs on the top and bottom

Similar named genera

Hornbeam, hop beech and pseudo-beech are not beeches. Hornbeam and hop beech are among the Birch plants and the dummy books to the genus of Beech family. But here, too, there are features that clearly distinguish these trees from real beeches.

Hornbeam

(Carpinus)

Hornbeams are confusingly similar to real beeches
However, the main differences are in the nature of the leaves and the size of the trees
Achieve heights of growth of a maximum of 25 m
The trunks are often crooked, brownish and noticeably cracked
Dense branched crown is initially conical
Hornbeams grow more rounded and expansive with age
Leaves much coarser, strongly corrugated and double serrated
Leaf undersides of young leaves are silky hairy, but later glabrous

Hop beech

(Ostrya)

Hop beeches reach heights of up to 15 m
Usually as a single to multi-stemmed large shrub or a broad-crowned, 20 m high tree
Bark is a dark scale bark
Leaves are 5-12 cm long, elliptical to oval, double serrated
The name is derived from the hop-like fruits