American Beech From the Eastern United States and Canada, Fagus grandifolia is a large, handsome, slow-growing deciduous tree with a habit similar to European beech, but with a heavier, more spreading crown and a tendency to sucker. The bark is thin, smooth and silvery-grey. The large, oval leaves emerge covered with downy hairs, turning light green; they have slightly toothed edges and turn golden-yellow to straw-coloured in autumn. Insignificant flowers in May are followed by little nuts in prickly cases. American beech needs a sheltered site, and will not grow as large in our climate as in the US. Site: Warm, sunny, sheltered siteSoil: Rich, loamy, humus-rich soilPosition: Full sunSeason of interest: Spring to autumnHardiness: Very hardyHeight: up to 98’ (30m) Spread: 115’ (35m) over time Photo taken by Plant Image Library, cropped, and licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0.