European Beech

European beech (Fagus sylvatica, Fagaceae) is a moderate-growing deciduous tree from Europe, reaching about 80 feet tall with a spread of 49 feet. Smooth gray bark develops an elephant-hide texture on old trunks. Dark green leaves (5 to 10 centimeters), silky and ciliate when young with undulate margins, turn yellow to scarlet in fall. Male flowers appear as yellowish-green ball-like heads and female as reddish-brown two-flowered clusters in April to May, producing edible beechnuts.

European beech grows in sun to part shade on well-drained soils (pH 5.0 to 7.0) with moderate water needs, hardy in Zones 4b to 8b. It is deer-resistant. Disease and pest associations include aphids and oystershell scale. The species responds exceptionally to pruning, making it a premier formal hedge plant. Cultivars are numerous, including 'Purpurea' (purple foliage), 'Asplenifolia' (fern-like dissected leaves), 'Purple Fountain' (25 feet, narrow weeping), 'Red Obelisk' (15 feet, columnar, dark purple), 'Dawyck Purple,' 'Tricolor' (rose and pink leaf borders), 'Rotundifolia' (round leaves), and 'Tortuosa Purpurea' (contorted, 10 to 15 feet).

European beech is a premium specimen tree that requires more site preparation than most people provide in the Puget Sound lowlands. The critical issue is drainage: beech does not tolerate waterlogged or compacted soils, and the glacial till with shallow hardpan that dominates much of the I-5 corridor creates exactly those conditions. Planting without drainage amendment in poorly drained till or alluvial clay is setting up the tree to fail. In well-drained soil, beech is magnificent: dense canopy, smooth gray bark, excellent fall color. The root zone is shallow and creates deep shade where nothing else grows, which is a design feature or a problem depending on your perspective. Two pests (aphid, oystershell scale) are documented, both minor. Prune only in late summer through midwinter to avoid bleeding. The tree takes hard pruning well and makes an excellent formal hedge.

— Chris Welch, ISA Certified Arborist