Tree

Fagus sylvatica

Beech

Majestic native tree with smooth grey bark and silky green leaves that turn copper; also a classic clipped hedge.

  • Full sun, Partial shade
  • 2–3 m (66–98 ft)
  • 12–15 m (39–49 ft)
  • H6 · Zone 6
  • April–May
  • Deciduous
  • RHS Award of Garden Merit

Overview

Beech is a large deciduous tree native to Europe, with smooth silver-grey bark and wavy-edged oval leaves that open fresh green in spring and turn rich copper and russet in autumn. Beechnuts feed birds and mammals.

It reaches 20–30 m (65–100 ft) and is hardy to about −20°C (−4°F), USDA zones 4–7. It grows on most well-drained soils, especially chalk, but dislikes waterlogging and hot summers: it performs poorly in the hot, humid south-eastern United States and in hot inland climates.

Clipped as a hedge, it holds its brown leaves through winter.

At a Glance

Sun Full sun, Partial shade
Height 2–3 m (66–98 ft)
Spread 12–15 m (39–49 ft)
Hardiness H6 · Zone 6
Flowers April–May
Soil Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture Moist well drained
Habit Spreading, Upright
Water Moderate
Maintenance Easy

Growing Conditions

Min. Temperature -20°C (-4°F)
pH Range 5–8.5
Fertility Average
Drainage Free Draining

Aspect Suitability

  • North-facing
  • East-facing
  • South-facing
  • West-facing

Site Tolerance

  • Exposed sites
  • Wind
  • Drought

Soil Tolerance

  • Clay
  • Chalk
  • Sandy
  • Loam
  • Acid
  • Neutral pH
  • Alkaline

Foliage

Persistence Deciduous
Colour Fresh green, Copper
Leaf shape / texture Oval, wavy-edged
  • Autumn colour

Foliage interest: March–November

Seasonal Timeline

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Flowering
Foliage
Fruiting
Propagate
  • Flowering Apr May
  • Foliage Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
  • Fruiting Sep Oct
  • Propagate Oct Nov

How to propagate

One way to grow more Beech:

From seed Oct–Nov Takes a little care
  • Sow about 20 mm deep
  • Needs a cold spell first: 14 weeks in the fridge in damp compost or sand (or sow outside in autumn and let winter do it)
  • Germinates best at about 10°C
  • Comes up in 150–210 days
  • Pot on about 30 weeks after sowing
  • Beechmast loses viability quickly if dried or stored, so sow it fresh in autumn rather than keeping it until spring.

You'll need: Fresh beechmast (nuts), pots or a seed bed of free-draining compost, and fine wire mesh to keep off mice and squirrels.

  1. Collect beechnuts as soon as they fall in October, while still plump and brown.
  2. Float them in water and discard any that float, as these are usually empty or non-viable.
  3. Sow straight away 2cm deep in pots of gritty compost or a prepared seed bed, as beechmast hates drying out or being stored.
  4. Cover the pots or bed with fine wire mesh pegged down firmly to stop rodents digging up the nuts.
  5. Stand the pots outside in a sheltered spot over winter so the cold can break the seed's dormancy.
  6. Watch for seedlings emerging the following spring and remove the mesh once they appear.
How long
Germinates the following spring after a winter outdoors, so allow 5 to 7 months.
It's worked when
Pairs of oval seed leaves push up through the soil in April or May.
Then
Grow seedlings on in pots for their first year or two, keeping them weed-free and watered, before planting out in autumn once 30 to 60cm tall.

Sow fresh beechnuts outdoors in autumn, protected from mice.

Garden Design

Works well in: Modern / Contemporary, Wildlife-friendly, Woodland / Shade

A majestic parkland tree, or a clipped hedge that keeps its copper leaves all winter.

Companion planting: Bluebells, Woodland bulbs, Ferns

Wildlife Value

  • Moths
  • Birds
  • Shelter
  • Food source
  • Caterpillar food plant
  • Nesting cover for birds
  • Food

Caterpillars it feeds: Barred hook-tip, Clay triple-lines, Lobster moth

Food for birds: September–November