American beech
Fagus grandifolia
USDA zones3 to 9
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size50 to 80 feet tall40 to 80 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellowish-green
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is a tree for borders, shade gardens, and low maintenance landscapes. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to moist soil of most types. Its smooth, light gray bark stays smooth as the tree ages, and the dark green leaves turn copper in fall. Give it plenty of room, since it grows slowly into a large tree with a wide, rounded crown. Deer tend to browse other plants first.
Pairs well with White oak, Cinnamon fern, White trillium, and Sedge.
Native range
Eastern North America.