European beech
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The European beech (Fagus sylvatica) or Common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the family Fagaceae, which also includes oak and chestnut trees.
| Table of contents |
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2 Appearance 3 Nuts 4 Habitat and Requirements 5 Phenology 6 Growth 7 Wood 8 External links |
Range
It has an average life-span of 150 to 200 years, sometimes up to 300 years. It can live in plains and low mountains (up to 1,500 m) with a range extending from southern Sweden south to northern Italy, west to northern Portugal and east to northwest Turkey, where it intergrades with the Oriental beech (F. orientalis) which replaces it further east. In the southern (Mediterranean) part of its range, it is restricted to mountains. The most beautiful European beech forest is found in Soigne, Belgium. The European beech is a dominant tree species in France and constitutes about 10% of its forests.
It is often regarded as native in southern Britain, but recent evidence has shown that it did not arrive in Britain until about 4,000 BC, or 2,000 years after the English Channel formed after the ice ages, and it was almost certainly an early introduction by Stone age man, who used the nuts for food.
Appearance
It is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to 48m tall, and 3m trunk diameter. The appearance varies according to its habitat. In forest conditions, it tends to have a long, slender light-gray trunk with a narrow crown and erect branches. In isolation with good side light, the trunk is short, with a large and widely spreading crown with very long branches.
The leaves are alternate, simple and entire, 5-10 cm long and 3-7 cm broad, with 6-7 veins on each side of the leaf (7-10 veins in F. orientalis). The buds are long and slender, 1.5-3 cm long and 2-3 mm thick, but thicker (to 4-5mm) where the buds include flower buds. The flowers are small catkins, which appear shortly after the leaves in spring. The seeds are small triangular nuts, borne two in each cupule.
There are a large number of ornamental varieties of European Beech made by horticultural selection, including:
- Copper beech or Purple beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea)
- Fern-leaf beech (Fagus sylvatica f. heterophylla)
- Dwarf beech (Fagus sylvatica f. tortuosa) - Distinctive twisted trunk and branches
Nuts
The European beech produces nuts starting from 40 to 80 years old. This production is particularly abundant following a hot, sunny, and dry summer, though never two years in a row. The nuts are much appreciated by birds, rodents, and also, in the past, by humans. Slightly toxic if eaten in large quantities, the fruit was nonetheless pressed to obtain an oil in 19th century England that was used in cooking and in lamps.
A beech forest is very dark and few species of plant are able to survive there, where the sun barely reaches the ground. Young beeches prefer some shade and may grow poorly in excessive sunlight. In a clear-cut forest, a European beech will germinate and then die of excessive dryness. Under oaks with sparse leaf cover, it will quickly surpass them in height. Under the beech's dense foliage, the oaks will die from lack of sunlight. Fortunately, in business terms, the oak is easily superior to the beech and foresters assure its survival by destroying young beeches with a billhook 10 cm off the ground (which produces a magnificent bonsai).
The root system is strong and shallow, even superficial, and large roots spread out in all directions.
Though not demanding of its soil type, the European beech has several significant requirements: a humid atmosphere (precipitation well distributed throughout the year and frequent fogs) and well drained soil (it can not handle excessive water). It prefers slightly fertile ground, calcified or lightly acidic. Therefore, it is found more often on the side of a hill than at the bottom of a clayey basin. Though it is well resistant to rigorous winter colds, the beech is particularly sensitive to springtime freezes.
The role of the mycorrhizae in the growth of the European beech is considerable. Without mycorrhizae, it would not be able to live or develop normally. This role is complex and can be summarized as follows: chemical and mechanical protection of the roots against bacteria, elaboration of the growth substance, improvement in the consumption of mineral elements and water. It is recommended to save and reuse part of the original substrate when extracting and moving the tree, which facilitates the reconstitution of the mycorrhizal bloom. The following are fungal parters of European beech: Porcini, Milky cap, Amanita, Cantharellus, and Hebeloma.
Each bud contains, since its formation during the preceeding summer, the entirety of the leaves that will make up the branch (between 3 and 11). The terminal bud emits a hormonal substance in the spring that halts the development of additional buds. This tendency, very strong at the beginning of their existence, becomes weaker in older subjects.
It is only after the budding that the growth of the root system begins. The first to appear are very thin roots (with a diameter of less than 0.5 mm). Later, after a wave of above ground growth, thicker roots grow in a steady fashion.
To increase the number of buds and thus favor ramification, one must encourage the development of numerous leaves. For that, the tree requires abundant watering in Summer and nitrogenous fertilizer at the end of August and beginning of September. The last fertilizing of the season, between September and October, prepares the tree for the Winter (phosphorous). Given good conditions, a bud can have up to 10 leaves. In the Spring one adjusts the watering to avoid the lengthening of the branches and thus the space between leaves. Along the same lines, the first fertilizing of the season must be performed in late May at the earliest.Habitat and Requirements
Climate and temperatures vary, though humidity is constant. Little is required of the soil so long as it is well drained. They grow in mountains up to 1500 m.Phenology
Budding by the European beech takes place relatively late. Among other signs and biological indications, it recognizes the favorable moment to bud by the length of the day. The species is thus able to bud each year from the end of April to the beginning for May with remarkable precision (within a few days). It is more precise in the north of its range than the south, and at 600 m than at sea level.Growth
The European beech invests significantly in Summer and Fall for the following Spring. Its summer conditions determine the number of leaves included in the buds. In Fall, the tree builds the reserves that will sustain it in Spring. It follows that in playing on the vigor of the tree in fair seasons, one can guide its development in the following season.