European Beech
Fagus sylvatica
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Krym, Netherlands, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine
Donarreiskoffer
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Genus:
- Fagus
- Species:
- Fagus sylvatica
- USDA Symbol:
- FASY
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- 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
American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), black-dotted leaftier moth (Psilocorsis cryptolechiella), Bucculatrix packardella, Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Io moth (Automeris io), Olethreutes fagigemmeana, Phyllonorycter restrictella, Winter moth (Operophtera brumata), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana ministra)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals
- Fall Color:
- yellow, bronze, copper
- Fire Notes:
- Thin bark makes European beech highly susceptible to fire damage; does not resprout well after burning.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers deep, fertile soils in native range
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold stratification and should be sown fresh for best results. Light is not required for germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI