Beech

Fagus sylvatica

Description and Habitat
The majestic tree that is the Beech is largely to be found in the southern part of Britain, the name beech comes from the Anglo Saxon word boc and/or the German word buche from where we get the word ‘book’. Early books were often made from the bark of the Beech tree, or witten on velum which was held flat between two blocks of Beech timber. The Latin sylvatica refers to woodland, where the Beech is often found in abundance, it will often tower above most other woodland trees, a mature Beech can reach heights of 140 feet, often with a canopy spread of huge proportion, often cutting out the light from the woodland floor below. 

The roots of the Beech are shallow in the earth, although they may have a wide spread, this makes Beech susceptible to falling over in high winds, especially when the huge canopy is still in leaf.

The Beech is one of the few trees that retains a smooth bark throughout its life, its colour is silvery grey, at the turn of the century its timber was used extensively for making fences on farms because of the woods habit of splitting straight

Beech leaves are light green to olive dependant upon the species, which turn golden, russet and deep brown in autumn, the leaves of the Copper Beech turning the most wonderful shade of burnished copper. 

Its flowers are catkins, which turn into a nut protected by a spiny outer providing food for squirrels and in times when pigs roamed the woodlands and forests of Britain, the Beech nut was a tasty meal which provided fats and nutrition. 

The buds of the Beech are a distinctive brown colour and are very long and pointed, the Beech is the only tree having these long buds, so is a good point of reference when discerning the Beech in winter.

Uses
Beech is often used as hedging, where the habit of the tree is contained by coppicing and layering, when coppiced and kept small for hedging, its leaves will stay on the wood all winter, making it popular with gardeners.

Beech is also used in chair making, where the spindles were often turned on site in woodlands using a foot pole lathe, with the seats being made either of Beech or Oak, and carved out using an adze axe. (see picture)

Beech timber burns long and hot, although not quite so good as Ash, and needs to be dried before burning. Ash will burn when green, but Beech doesn’t have this attribute.

Medicinal use
Medicinal use of the Beech is limited, mostly attributed to the oil found in its nuts, containing protein, minerals and trace elements Although the wood from the Beech yields cresoline, which was used externally as an antiseptic.

Culpepper says “ the leaves of the Beech tree are cooling and binding, and therefore good to be applied to hot swellings to discuss them; the nuts do much nourish such beasts as feed thereon. The water that is found in the hollow places of decaying Beeches will cure both man and beast of any scurf, or running tetters, if they be washed therewith; you may boil the leaves into a poultice or make an ointment of them when time of year serves.

Folklore
Folklore suggests that if a beech stick is carved with words of your greatest wish it will come true, Beech is an old symbol of prosperity

Rods of Beech are often favoured by water diviners, the rods are grown specifically shaped to the Y shape. ‘Wishing rods’ are often found tied to Beech trees, this folklore custom has its origins in Celtic tree mythology, where the Beech tree is known as the ‘tree of wishes’. Fallen Beech branches were said to be invitations from the wishing faeries, a wish written on the branch and pushed into the earth was collected by the faery and taken to the deep underworld for the Faery Queens consideration