10 Common Varieties of Beech Trees

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) is the only beech species that is an original native to North America. As the Latin name grandiflora indicates, the tree has elliptical leaves that are large for the genus, up to 5 inches long. The bark is a medium gray and the canopy forms a dense oval to rounded crown. Fall leaf color is a golden bronze color. In the wild, it often suckers to form dense, brushy thickets. This species can have problems with the beech blight aphid (Grylloprociphilus imbricator) and beech bark disease, but it is otherwise a fairly trouble-free tree.

The American beech is not particularly tolerant of urban conditions, however. It is not a great choice for inner-city planting, though it can do fine in suburban settings.

• Name: American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
• Native Area: Eastern North America
• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9
• Height: 60 to 80 feet; occasionally to 120 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Type: Well draining, loose, rich, acidic soil

European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is the most common beech tree across the world. It is similar to the American beech in appearance and growth habit but has smaller leaves and bark that is a darker gray. Arriving in North America with European colonists in the 1700s, it is now widely naturalized and can be found in wild settings. The leaves are oval and dark green in color, up to 4 inches long. There are many cultivars available offering many growth forms and different leaf colors, including copper, tri-color, weeping beech, golden beech, and dwarf beech.

Like the American beech, the European beech is a fairly trouble-free specimen that makes an excellent shade tree. It can be a better choice if you don't want the very dense shade of the American beech.

• Name: European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
• Native Area: Central Europe
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 7
• Height: 50 to 60 feet; occasionally to 100 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade (full sun is optimal)
• Soil Type: Well draining, loose, loamy, slightly acidic to neutral soil
  

Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea' or Fagus sylvatica f. pururea)

Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea' or Fagus sylvatica f. pururea) is a very popular variety of European beech is the copper beech, usually described as Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea', although some experts regard it as a naturally occurring genetic form rather than a cultivar. This variety has coppery or purple-colored leaves that turn shades of red and copper in the fall. A related cultivar—F. sylvatica f. purpurea 'Pendula'—is a weeping variety. There are also cultivars with leaves that are more purple, including 'Reversii' and 'Spaethiana'.

These are slow-growing trees that are sometimes kept closely pruned to serve as wind-blocking hedge plants; they are especially tolerant of windy conditions.

• Name: Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea' or Fagus sylvatica f. pururea)
• Native Area: Central Europe
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 7
• Height: 50 to 60 feet; occasionally to 100 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Type: Well draining, loamy, slightly acidic soil

Tri-Color Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Tricolor')

Tri-Color Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Tricolor' or F. sylvatica 'Roseomarginata' ) is another popular cultivar of the European beech. It features unusual variegated leaves that are pink, white, and green. This beech is less likely to develop excessive size, making it an excellent shade tree for smaller yards. Foliage is purple with pink margins as it emerges in spring changing to dark bronze-green with pale pink margins in summer, then finally turning bronze-gold in the fall. The 4-inch long leaves have prominent parallel veins. This tree is a good choice for acidic soils, though it will tolerate nearly any soil pH.

• Name: Tri-Color Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea Tricolor' or F. sylvatica 'Roseomarginata' )
• Native Area: Central Europe
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 7
• Height: 25 to 30 feet
• Sun Exposure: Part shade; too much sun may burn the variegated leaves
• Soil Type: Well draining, moist, loamy, slightly acidic soil

Japanese Beech (Fagus crenata)

Japanese Beech (Fagus crenata) is found throughout the forests of Japan, where it sometimes is the predominant species. It has smooth, silvery-gray bark and a rounded crown. The leaves are oval and a glossy medium-green in color. The foliage turns an attractive shade of yellow in fall. Also known as Buna or Siebold's beech, this tree has a widely variable growth rate and has been known to exceed 200 feet. It is also a frequent specimen in bonsai gardening.

In the landscape, this beech casts very dense shade that can make it difficult to grow other plants under its canopy. It prefers well-drained, loamy, or sandy soils, and adapts well to chalk soil environments.

• Name: Japanese Beech (Fagus crenata)
• Native Area: Japan
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
• Height: 70 to 115 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade; has good shade tolerance
• Soil Type: Well draining, loamy, chalky, slightly acidic soil

Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis)

Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis), native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia, can reach a mature height of up to 150 feet tall. It is similar to the European beech in appearance and growth habit, but can grow to a much larger size. In Eastern Europe, this tree has hybridized with European beech trees in Turkey and the Balkans region, producing hybrid trees (Fagus × taurica).

The buds are long and slender, and the nuts arrive in pairs within cupules fringed with leaflike appendages. Its strong, heavy wood is used for many industrial purposes. The light green leaves of the oriental beech turn pale yellow in autumn, adding to your yard's fall color.

• Name: Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis)
• Native Area: Eastern Europe and Western Asia
• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 7
• Height: 80 to 100 feet; occasionally to 150 feet
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade (full sun is optimal)
• Soil Type: Well draining, loamy, slightly acidic soil; avoid salty soil
  

Japanese Blue Beech (Fagus japonica)

Japanese Blue Beech (Fagus japonica) is native to its namesake Japan and can reach up to 80 feet tall, towering high into the sky with its multi-trunk silhouette. These deciduous trees grow in forests where they fill forest with their towering shapes. Their vibrant green color and classic pointed leaves accent the smooth, gray bark.

• Name: Japanese Blue Beech (Fagus japonica) 
• Native Area: Japan
• USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 7
• Height: Up to 80 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Type: Acidic, well-drained soil

Chinese Beech (Fagus engleriana)

Chinese Beech (Fagus engleriana) is a type of beech tree that is concentrated within central China. Their autumnal colors are vibrant, making them stand out with their bright yellow leaves against the landscape. These statuesque trees can reach up to 70 feet tall in maturity, and they have leaves that are a blue-green color with a more oval than pointed shape. These sturdy trees can stand up to wind and frost.

• Name: Chinese Beech (Fagus engleriana) 
• Native Area: Central China
• USDA Growing Zones: 6b
• Height: 60 to 70 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Type: Fertile soil

Mexican beech (Fagus mexicana)

Mexican beech (Fagus mexicana)  is a towering tree that is found throughout the mountainous regions of Mexico, growing high above the forests in which it lives. This deciduous tree can grow up to 130 feet tall, with trunks that clock in at just over three feet in diameter. The alternating leaves are simple and pointed.

• Name: Mexican beech (Fagus mexicana)  
• Native Area: Northeastern and central Mexico
• USDA Growing Zones: 7b-8
• Height: Up to 130 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Type: Rich, moist soil

Taiwan beech (Fagus hayatae)

Taiwan beech (Fagus hayatae) is a medium size beech tree that is found in the ridge top forests of Taiwan. It is considered an endangered species among beech trees.

• Name: Taiwan beech (Fagus hayatae)
• Native Area: Ridge top forests in Taiwan
• USDA Growing Zones: 6
• Height: Up to 66 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial sun
• Soil Type: Rich, moist soil