Beech, American | Arboretum | SIU

This tree is one of the 150 trees initially included in the arboretum to coincide with the campus's 150th anniversary celebration.

Scientific Name:
Fagus grandifolia

Cultivar:

Native to:
Eastern United States and extreme southeast Canada

Mature Height and Width:
50-80 feet by 40-80 feet

Additional Notes:
High deer populations, selective logging, and decades of forest fire suppression are leading to an increase of American beech’s prominence in forests of our region.  Deer preferentially eat the more palatable tree seedlings that normally outcompete beech.  Loggers show relatively less interest in beech than most other species growing nearby.  Fire suppression allows the thin barked beech to survive into maturity much more than is the case when forest fires were common.

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