European Beech      FA-gus sil-VAT-i-ka

• Deciduous tree, 50-60(100) ft [15-18(30) m], pyramidal to oval, dense.   Bark smooth gray, developing an elephant hide appearance on old trunks.  Buds narrow, long (2-2.5 cm), pointed.  Leaves simple, alternate, 5-10 cm long, usually entire (silky and fringed with hairs [ciliate] when young), undulate, 5-9 vein pairs (F. grandifolia has 9-14 pair), acute apex, lustrous dark green above, light green beneath, glabrous at maturity, silky, ciliate when young.  Petiole 0.5-1 cm long, downy.  Hard woody fruit (nut), 1.5 cm long, triangular, usually two nuts enclosed by a four lobed husk (2-2.5 cm long) covered with bristles.
• Best in full sun but will withstand part shade.  More tolerant of soils than F. grandifolia, otherwise similar requirements.  Withstands pruning so well it can be used to form a very narrow yet tall hedge or windbreak (Hellyer, 1982).
• Hardy to USDA Zone 4       Native to Europe, long cultivated and a number of selections available, including:
  • 'Asplenifolia'  (Fernleaf or Cutleaf European Beech)  -  dense growth, leaves green but dissected, offering a fern-like appearance
  • 'Atropunicea'  (Purple Beech)  (syn. 'Purpurea')  -  apparently the original purple leaf beech.
  • 'Cockelshell'  (Cockleshell Beech)  -   slow growing, somewhat columnar form, glossy, round green leaves.
  • 'Dawyck Gold'  (Dawyck Gold European Beech)  -  leaves golden at first, bright green in summer.
  • 'Dawyck Purple' (Purple Columnar Beech)  -  purple leaf form, narrow habit
  • 'Fastigiata' (Dawyck Beech) (syn.? 'Dawyck)  -  the original 'Dawyck' beech is rigidly columnar without pruning.  Confusion at to whether 'Fastigiata' in commerce refers only to the 'Dawyck' beech.
  • 'Milonensis'  (Milton European Beech)  -  weeping form, green leaves.
  • 'Pendula'  (Weeping Green Beech) (syn. F. s. f. pendula)  -  green leaves and pendulous branches, variable tree forms, some broad, mushroom-shaped, and other rather narrow and tall ("fountain-like").
  • 'Purple Fountain' (Purple Fountain European Beech)  -  purple leaves, tree narrowly upright with a central leader; a seedling of 'Purple Pendula'.
  • 'Purpurea Pendula'  (Weeping Purple Beech)  -  purple leaves, slow growing, mushroom-shaped shrub.
  • 'Red Obelisk'  (Red Obelisk European Beech) (syn. 'Rohan Obelisk')  -  dark purple dissected leaves, pyramidal-columnar form.
  • 'Riversii'  (Rivers Purple Beech)  -  deep purple leaves, glossy, large.  A common purple leaf selection.
  • 'Rohanii'  (Purple Sawtooth European Beech)  -  bronzy-purple leaves in spring, shallow rounded teeth, tree relatively narrow.
  • 'Roseo-marginata' and 'Tricolor'  (Tricolor European Beech)  -  purple leaf forms with irregular rose and pinkish boarders, the two selections are similar or even identical.
  • 'Spaethiana'  (Spaeth European Beech or Blood Beech)  -  somewhat similar to 'Riversii', leaves darker purple, later to emerge and to drop, tree narrower and smaller.
  • 'Swat Magret'  (Swat Magret European Beech)  -  large glossy purple leaves, turn russet to bronze.
  • 'Tricolor'  (Tricolor European Beech)  - see above, ('Roseo-marginata'). 
  • 'Zlatia'  (Zlatia European Beech)  -  new leaves yellowing fading to green in summer.
• sylvatica: of the woods
• Oregon State Univ. campus: several trees on the north side of Waldo Hall.