European Beech sprout

Description:

Bright lime green new leaves appear from long narrow buds turning rich dark green in maturity. Superb autumn rich yellow turning coppery orangey/brown in autumn and often holding well through the winter until new bud formation in spring. Position:Prefers partial shade Soil: Any reasonable soil as long as not waterlogged. Rate of Growth: Fast Flowering Period: Late spring Flower Colour: Insignificant Other Features: Superb stout hedge offering year round interest. Hardiness: Fully hardy: stands a temperature down to -15°C ( http://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/plant... )

Habitat:

Beech, common Common beech is often seen as a feminine tree and paricularly elegant examples may earn the name 'Queen beech'. Beech woodlands are characterised by a carpet of crispy fallen leaves and nut casings on the ground. What other names does it have? Can also be known as •Boc • Bece • Beace (Anglo Saxon) Generic name Beech Latin name Fagus sylvatica Family name Beech Latin family name Fagaceae What type of tree is it? Is it a broadleaf or conifer? It is a broadleaf Does it lose its leaves in autumn? Yes, it is deciduous Species description: Average height 10-35m Leaf Description The leaf edges are smooth and are fringed with silky brown hairs. Shape Oval Size Up to 10cm Colour Dark green Colour of leaves in autumn Yellow to brown Leaf bud Copper/grey colour, torpedo or cigar shaped and up to 2cm long. The buds have a distinctive criss-cross pattern Leaf stalk Short stalk Leaf arrangement Alternate Leaf burst usually occurs Spring Flower, seed, and fruit Type of flower Other Flowering season April-May Fruit colour Brown Fruit season September-November Type of seed body Nut Seeds dispersed by •Wildlife • Bark and twig Bark description Characteristic smooth grey bark sometimes with slight horizontal etchings Twig Description The slender grey twigs have a zig zag shape What other trees are similar? Can easily be confused with? •Hornbeam- but this teeth/serrations around the edges of the leaves • Copper or purple beech- which has purpley colour leaves not green Where is it usually found? Is it native or non-native to the British Isles? Native Where is its natural range? South east and mid-England Preferred soil type or environmental conditions? It grows best on acid soils but does well on poor, sandy, shallow and chalky soils. Dislikes wet soils. What is its British conservation status? Common Additional information Is any part of the tree poisonous? No Human uses of tree and timber The timber is used for fuel, furniture, piles, tool handles, kitchen utensils and sports equipment. Beech wood burns also well and is used to smoke herrings. The nuts were also important as a source of food, particularly for pigs! They are energy rich and could be used to fatten pigs up for market. In France the nuts are still sometimes roasted as a coffee substitute and they can also yield an oil which can be used in cooking or for oil lamps. Tree lore and folklore Remarkably there are few folklore records relating to beech. It was thought to have medicinal properties though. In the past beech leaves were recommended as a relief for swellings, and boiling the leaves could make a poultice Explanation of Latin name Fagus may be derived from the Greek phagein to eat, as in Europe beechmast was eaten in times of famine. ( http://www.british-trees.com/treeguide/b... )

Notes:

Fagus sylvatica, or the European Beech, are a very common sight in the UK tolerating shallow chalk and clay soils. As a child growing up in the Chilterns Hills outside London, tall majestic Beech woods were a common sight. As such a common native UK species, Beech saplings are often collected to develop as bonsai. Unfortunately, they are not an easy tree to use for bonsai successfully. Trunks take a long time to thicken, backbudding can be awkward and sporadic and the development of ramification in the branches takes a long time. Many Beech bonsai issue just one flush of growth each year during May. Field-growing Beech and very vigorous Beech bonsai will then have a second flush of growth in July. This slow growth rate coupled with a general lack of backbudding can result in Beech bonsai having long and bare primary branches that just have ramification on the tips of the branches. Trees like this then need to be rebuilt from the inside outwards ( http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Be... ), ( http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&su... )