Beech
Beech navigation
There's debate as to whether beech – botanical name Fagus sylvatica – spread naturally from southern England to Scotland after the last ice age.
This deciduous species favours chalk downlands but can also grow well on light soils. Its dense shade usually keeps the forest floor clear of undergrowth.
Facts and statistics
Here are some interesting facts about beech trees.
500 years.
Up to 60 metres in Britain.
Soft needles with two grey bands underneath.
Oval-shaped cones hang downwards with a three-point bract – a special type of leaf – on every scale.
Red-brown, fissured and corky.
From British Columbia to California.
The Douglas fir is the major timber species in its native North America.
Originally grown in this country for ornamental purposes, it is now a valuable timber tree used for construction and paper pulp. It is also used in some furniture.