Also called North American beech.
Part of
beech genus Fagus
in
beech / oak family Fagaceae
in
bayberry / beech / birch / oak / walnut order Fagales.
Native to 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇺🇸 USA and 🇲🇽 Mexico, east of the 🗻︎ Rocky Mountains.
🌎︎ Map (.pdf).
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Fagus hosts caterpillars of 126 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
Leaves may be bronze-color in autumn. Found in climax forests, with birch and 🍁︎ maple. Famous for 👥︎ people carving their initials in this "initial tree". Beech nuts are high in protein and fat, and are important food for 🐦︎ birds, deer, bear, fox, squirrel, chipmunk, 🐭︎ mice and 🐖︎ feral hogs. Beech leaves and twigs provide food for
◼︎ white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus
late in the season, when there is very little other food available.
This plant is known to be a host for (in areas where invasive)
🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF) Lycorma delicatula.