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{{Taxobox
__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Fagus''
| name = Beech
| common_names = Beech
| growth_habit = [[deciduous]] [[tree]]
| high = ? <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
| wide = <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
| origin = ? <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
| poisonous = <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
| lifespan = <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
| exposure = ? <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
| water = ? <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
| features = <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
| hardiness = <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
| bloom = <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
| usda_zones = ? <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
| sunset_zones = <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
| color = IndianRed
| image = EuroBeech.jpg
| image = EuroBeech.jpg
| image_width = 260px
| image_width = 240px <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
| image_caption = European Beech leaves and cupules
| image_caption = European Beech leaves and cupules
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| regnum = Plantae
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| divisio = Magnoliophyta
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| classis = Magnoliopsida
| ordo = [[Fagales]]
| ordo = Fagales
| familia = [[Fagaceae]]
| familia = Fagaceae
| genus = '''''Fagus'''''
| genus = Fagus
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
{{Inc|
Fagus (ancient Latin name). Fagaceae. Beech. Ornamental trees, chiefly grown for their handsome foliage, good habit and the conspicuous color of the bark; also valuable timber trees. There are marked horticultural forms.
Deciduous: winter-buds conspicuous, elongated, acute: lvs. alternate, distichous, dentate or nearly entire, with caducous small stipules: fls. monoecious, with the Ivs.; staminate in slender-peduncled pendulous heads, appearing at the base of the young shoots; perianth 5-7-lobed; stamens 8-13; pistillate with 3 styles, usually 2 in an axillary peduncled involucre: fr. a brown, ovate, triangled nut, 1 or 2 in a prickly, dehiscent involucre. — Eight species occur in the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. The species of the southern hemisphere, often included under Fagus (as F. betuloides and others), form the genus Nothofagus,which see.
The beeches are tall deciduous hardy trees, of noble, symmetrical habit, with smooth light gray bark and clean dark green foliage, which is rarely attacked by insects or fungi. They are among the most ornamental and beautiful trees for park planting, and attractive at every season, especially in spring, with the young foliage of a tender delicate green, and the graceful, drooping heads of the staminate flowers. All of the eight species known, save one, are in cultivation and differ comparatively little from each other. The American and the European species are especially much alike, but the first has the bark of a lighter color, the head is broader and more roundish, and the leaves less shining, turning clear yellow in fall, while the latter has a more ovate head and shining foliage, which turns reddish brown in fall and remains on the branches almost through the whole winter. It is sometimes used for tall hedges. In Europe, the beech is a very important forest tree, and the hard and very close-grained wood is largely used in the manufacture of different articles and for fuel; but it is not very durable in the soil. The sweet nuts are edible, and in Europe an oil is pressed from them, used for cooking and other purposes.
The beech prefers dryish situations, and grows best in sandy loam and in limestone soil. Propagated by seeds sown in fall where there is no danger of their being eaten by mice, or dried after gathering and kept mixed with dry sand until spring. The young plants should be transplanted every second or third year; otherwise they make long tap-roots, and cannot always be transplanted successfully. The varieties are grafted on seedling stock, usually in the greenhouse in early spring; grafting in the open usually gives not very satisfactory results.
Both in Europe and the eastern United States the beech forms extensive forests. It is today the common hardwood tree of central Europe, particularly in Denmark and Germany, raised as pure growth or mixture. It requires a loamy, preferably calcareous soil, shuns poor sand and swamp, ascends to 3,500 feet in the Alps; prefers north and east exposures, endures much shade, protects and improves the soil, and produces large amounts of wood to the acre. The wood is heavy (specific gravity 0.65 to 0.75) hard, straight-grained, of close texture, not durable. Beech is not used as building lumber, but is extensively used for ordinary wooden ware, furniture, wheelwright and cooperage stock.{{SCH}}
}}
==Cultivation==
{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
===Propagation===
{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
===Pests and diseases===
{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
The [[beech blight aphid]] (''Grylloprociphilus imbricator'') is a common pest of beech trees.
==Species==
10 species of Beech exist.<br>
''[[Fagus crenata]]'' - Japanese Beech<br/>
''[[Fagus crenata]]'' - Japanese Beech<br/>
''[[Fagus engleriana]]'' - Chinese Beech<br/>
''[[Fagus engleriana]]'' - Chinese Beech<br/>
''[[Fagus orientalis]]'' - Oriental Beech<br/>
''[[Fagus orientalis]]'' - Oriental Beech<br/>
''[[Fagus sylvatica]]'' - European Beech<br/>
''[[Fagus sylvatica]]'' - European Beech<br/>
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Leavessnipedale.jpg|European Beech leaves
Image:Leavessnipedale.jpg|European Beech leaves
Image:BeechTrunk.JPG|Base of a Beech
Image:BeechTrunk.JPG|Base of a Beech
</gallery>
</gallery>
==References==
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
<!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 -->
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=112623 Flora of China - ''Fagus'']
*{{wplink}}
{{stub}}
[[Category:Categorize]]
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