Overview

The botanical name of northern beeches, Fagus, is derived from the Greek word for food, phagus, from the edible seed, beech nuts.

The beech has a species in Europe, sylvatica, one in North America, grandifolia, another in Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, orientalis, and four species in Asia including engleriana in central China and lucida in western China, plus two in the relatively small area of Japan, japonica and crenata.

Several dozen ornamental cultivars have been selected from the European species.

The beech tree remains a popular source of timber from the temperate broadleaf forests of the lower altitudes of Europe and North America. Specimens can be seen growing in the Arboretum's collections.

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