Firewood Logs - Beech - A guide to burning firewood
Burns nearly as well as Ash when dry but only fair when green.
Beech, common
Common beech is often seen as a feminine tree and paricularly elegant examples may earn the name 'Queen beech'. Beech woodlands are characterised by a carpet of crispy fallen leaves and nut casings on the ground.
What other names does it have?
| Can also be known as |
|
|---|---|
| Generic name | Beech |
| Latin name | Fagus sylvatica |
| Family name | Beech |
| Latin family name | Fagaceae |
What type of tree is it?
| Is it a broadleaf or conifer? | It is a broadleaf |
|---|---|
| Does it lose its leaves in autumn? | Yes, it is deciduous |
Species description:
| Average height | 15-40m |
|---|
Leaf
| Description | The leaf edges are smooth and are fringed with silky brown hairs. |
|---|---|
| Shape | Oval |
| Size | Up to 10cm |
| Colour | Dark green |
| Colour of leaves in autumn | Yellow to brown |
| Leaf bud | Copper/grey colour, torpedo or cigar shaped and up to 2cm long. The buds have a distinctive criss-cross pattern |
| Leaf stalk | Short stalk |
| Leaf arrangement | Alternate |
| Leaf burst usually occurs | Spring |
Flower, seed, and fruit
| Type of flower | Other |
|---|---|
| Flowering season | April-May |
| Fruit colour | Brown |
| Fruit season | September-November |
| Type of seed body | Nut |
| Seeds dispersed by | Wildlife |
Bark and twig
| Bark description | Characteristic smooth grey bark sometimes with slight horizontal etchings |
|---|---|
| Twig Description | The slender grey twigs have a zig zag shape |
What other trees are similar?
| Can easily be confused with? |
|
|---|
Where is it usually found?
| Is it native or non-native to the British Isles? | Native |
|---|---|
| Where is its natural range? | South east and mid-England |
| Preferred soil type or environmental conditions? | It grows best on acid soils but does well on poor, sandy, shallow and chalky soils. Dislikes wet soils. |
| What is its British conservation status? | Common |
Additional information
| Is any part of the tree poisonous? | No |
|---|---|
| Human uses of tree and timber | The timber is used for fuel, furniture, piles, tool handles, kitchen utensils and sports equipment. Beech wood burns also well and is used to smoke herrings. The nuts were also important as a source of food, particularly for pigs! They are energy rich and could be used to fatten pigs up for market. In France the nuts are still sometimes roasted as a coffee substitute and they can also yield an oil which can be used in cooking or for oil lamps. |
| Tree lore and folklore | Remarkably there are few folklore records relating to beech. It was thought to have medicinal properties though. In the past beech leaves were recommended as a relief for swellings, and boiling the leaves could make a poultice |
Explanation of Latin name
Fagus may be derived from the Greek phagein to eat, as in Europe beechmast was eaten in times of famine.
