Fábhile
Latin name: Fagus sylvatica
The beech tree is deciduous tree. It is native to Asia, North America and parts of Europe.
It grows very tall. The bark is a grey-blue colour and is very smooth.
Beech Tree
In the spring, you will see the buds on the beech trees. They open out into deep green leaves. In the autumn, the leaves turn a rusty-red colour.
The leaves stay on the tree for longer than other deciduous trees. Sometimes, they even stay until the spring. The new shoots have to force them off!
The fruit of the beech tree is a nut. It is inside a small, triangle shaped shell. These shells are hairy on the outside. These are called 'cupules'.
Beech nut oil is very popular in Europe. A lot of people use it instead of butter.
The brown-purple flowers only grow when the tree is forty years old.
Have you ever seen the flowers of a beech? If you have, the tree must be at least forty years old!