Fagus sylvatica

European beech in the beech or Fagaceae family has a native habitat from southern Sweden to northern Sicily, west to France, southern England, northern Portugal, central Spain, and east to northwest Turkey. It is a large tree, reaching height of up to 50 m and trunk diameter of 3 m, with a lifespan of 200 years but sometimes reaching even 300 years old.

Many cultivars of European beech have been developed over the last 150 years and now it is one of the most popular horticultural trees. It has been bred further into groups and varieties such as the Purpurea [purple], Heterophylla [cutleaf], Asplendifolia [fernleaf], Tortuosa, Pendula [pendulous], Dawyck [fastigiate], Zatia [golden leaf] and Rohanii. Some are crosses which were crossed again with other varieties, and others are grafts, with green forms of some and purple forms of others.

• Leaves are alternate, simple, 5–10 cm long and 3–7 cm broad, with 6–7 straight veins on each side of the leaf and rounded-teeth on the margin. They dry out and remain on the tree until spring, especially in juveniles but on lower branches in older trees as well. This process is called 'marcescence'.
• Species is monoecious. Male flowers are in globose heads 2 cm in diameter, on a stock 2 cm long. Females look similar but are on short spikes.
• The female flowers produce small triangular edible beech nuts 15–20 m long and 7–10 mm wide.
• Buds are long, slender (15–30 mm long, 2–3 mm wide) and sharp-pointed. Bark is thin, smooth, gray-blue colour.