Beech (original) (raw)
- MLA 8TH EDITION
- Lacoursiere, Estelle. "Beech". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 04 March 2015, Historica Canada. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/beech. Accessed 22 October 2024.
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- APA 6TH EDITION
- Lacoursiere, E. (2015). Beech. In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/beech
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- CHICAGO 17TH EDITION
- Lacoursiere, Estelle. "Beech." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published September 02, 2010; Last Edited March 04, 2015.
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- TURABIAN 8TH EDITION
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Beech," by Estelle Lacoursiere, Accessed October 22, 2024, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/beech
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Published Online September 2, 2010
Last Edited March 4, 2015
Beech (Fagus), genus of trees of beech family (Fagaceae). Ten species occur worldwide; one, American beech (F. grandifolia), is native to North America.
A beech forest in the Clyburn Valley of Cape Breton Highlands National Park (courtesy Parks Canada).
Fall colours of the American beech (courtesy Parks Canada).
Beech (Fagus), genus of trees of beech family (Fagaceae). Ten species occur worldwide; one, American beech (F. grandifolia), is native to North America. In Canada, this species is found primarily in the East.
American beech has a straight trunk covered with thick, smooth, bluish grey bark and can attain 30 m in height. The leaves are alternate, single, long ovals with saw-toothed edges. Leaves of young trees often remain on the twigs throughout winter. The edible beechnut is an important food source for a number of animals, particularly squirrels.
American beech is usually found with sugar maples on temperate, well-drained slopes. Its leaves decompose very slowly, forming a thick leaf litter which acidifies soil and makes regeneration of sugar maple increasingly difficult.
European beech (F. sylvatica) is planted as an ornamental in Canada. Varieties include copper beech, weeping forms, variegated leaf forms. The heavy, hard, tough wood is used for tool handles, floor planks and furniture.