| Scientific Name: | Fagus sylvatica |
| Common Name: | European beech |
| Family Name: | Fagaceae |
| Origin: | Europe |
| Hardiness Zone: | Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C) |
| Plant Type: | Tree - deciduous |
| Mature Size: | 22 - 30m x 15 - 25m (height x width) |
| Habit: | Spreading |
| Form: | Oval - horizontal, Oval - vertical, Round |
| Texture: | Medium |
| Landscape Uses: | Fall interest, Hedge row, Herb, Screening, Sheared hedge, Specimen plant, Topiary, Wildlife food, Wind break |
| Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil or Media: | Alkaline, Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained |
| Leaves: | Simple, Alternate, Soft flexible, Heavily veined, Pinnate venation, Lustrous, Glandular hairs, Elliptic, Obovate, Ovate, Ciliate, Entire, Undulate (wavy) |
| Flowers: | Catkin (ament), Green-yellow, Apr-May |
| Fruit: | Edible, Nut, Schizocarp, Brown, Sep-Oct |
| Key ID Features: | |
| Leaves alternate, most blades broadly elliptic (some ovate or obovate), 5-9cm long x 3-6cm wide, glossy, (5-)7-9 pairs of parallel major veins, margin usually ciliate, undulate and entire, most petioles 5-12mm long;. Winter ID: mature bark smooth, dark grey, with a horizontal pattern (resemble an elephant's skin or leg); buds with few scales, narrowly conical, most 1-2.5cm long x 4-5mm wide, pointed, spear-like, divergent, reddish-brown with grey fuzz. | |