American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
- Native to:
- Canada, Prince Edward I., United States
iNaturalist: © abgautier (iNaturalist #182370526)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Genus:
- Fagus
- Species:
- Fagus grandifolia
- USDA Symbol:
- FAGR
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 2500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★★☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Acronicta tristis, American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), Bethune's Pinion (Lithophane bethunei), black-dotted leaftier moth (Psilocorsis cryptolechiella), broken-banded leafroller (Choristoneura fractivittana), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Bruce spanworm (Operophtera bruceata), Bucculatrix packardella, clear dagger moth (Acronicta clarescens), Colocasia flavicornis, Colocasia propinquilinea, Dasychira obliquata, Eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana), Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americana), elm spanworm moth (Ennomos subsignaria), fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), false prominent (Schizura leptinoides), gray-patched prominent (Dasylophia thyatiroides), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), hibiscus Quaker (Orthosia hibisci), Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), impressed dagger moth (Acronicta impressa), Io moth (Automeris io), Laugher (Charadra deridens), maple leafcutter moth (Paraclemensia acerifoliella), Maple spanworm (Ennomos magnaria), maple trumpet skeletonizer (Catastega aceriella), maple-basswood leafroller (Sparganothis pettitana), Morrisonia latex, Mottled Prominent (Macrurocampa marthesia), Neurobathra strigifinitella, Norman's Quaker (Crocigrapha normani), oak leaftier moth (Psilocorsis quercicella), Olethreutes fagigemmeana, Orthosia revicta, ovate dagger moth (Acronicta ovata), Phyllonorycter restrictella, red-humped oakworm moth (Symmerista canicosta), Red-lined Panopoda (Panopoda rufimargo), Red-washed Prominent (Oligocentria semirufescens), Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda), Saddled Prominent (Heterocampa guttivitta), sharp-lined tussock moth (Dasychira dorsipennata), Spotted Tussock Moth (Lophocampa maculata), Symmerista leucitys, Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth (Lochmaeus manteo), Walnut Sphinx (Amorpha juglandis), white triangle tortrix (Clepsis persicana), White-dotted Prominent (Nadata gibbosa), White-headed Symmerista (Symmerista albifrons), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), woodland leafroller (Pandemis lamprosana), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana integerrima), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana ministra), Early Hairstreak (Erora laeta), Red-spotted Purple (Basilarchia arthemis)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Moths:Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), Cecrita guttivitta, maple leafcutter moth (Paraclemensia acerifoliella), Phyllonorycter maestingella, Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), Saddleback Caterpillar Moth (Acharia stimulea), Schizura ipomaeae, Tulip-tree beauty (Epimecis hortaria), Variable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth (Lochmaeus manteo), White-dotted Prominent (Nadata gibbosa)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, black bears, wild turkeys
- Fall Color:
- golden yellow, bronze
- Fire Notes:
- Thin bark makes American beech highly susceptible to fire damage; it is a fire-sensitive species that declines with frequent burns.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.0 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage preferred
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers undisturbed, mature forest soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds are recalcitrant and must not dry out; sow fresh in fall or stratify cold-moist immediately after collection.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are cold stratified for 90 days
Source: npn.rngr.net