Beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the Beech family. The distribution area of the species is outlined by the temperate zone of Europe, Asia and North America. European beech represents huge populations in the territory modern Europe, often grown for urban landscaping in park areas. The plant can be found high in the mountains; forest beech develops well at an altitude of up to 2300 m above sea level. The beech tree is not only hardy, it dominates forests over deciduous representatives of other species.
A deciduous tree can grow and develop in one place for several centuries.
Beech forests are widespread on different continents. different types trees. Beech can be found on the European continent; large-leaved beech is more common in North America. Beech trees are endemic to China and Japan, the Chinese variety of the tree is B. Englera, in Japan there are two species - B. Japanese blue and B. jagged.
A beech tree often reaches a height of up to 30 m, the girth of the trunk can exceed 2 m. An adult growing beech is a giant tree, its trunks, gray in color, are covered with smooth bark. Almost to the very top with a powerful crown, beech stems have no branches. This tree has such a dense crown that the lower branches are never illuminated by the sun, and therefore the process of photosynthesis is disrupted. This is why the lower branches gradually die off, leaving the beech trunk bare.
Beech leaves have the shape of an oblong oval, the edges are often decorated with serrations or frequent teeth. The length of the leaves ranges from 5 to 15 cm, the width often reaches up to 10 cm. The leaves fall off in winter.
Beech giants bloom in spring; the color is loose catkins that emerge from the buds simultaneously with the leaves. Pollination of flowers occurs with the help of wind, and fruiting may occur late. Single strong specimens bear fruit after 20-40 years, in group plantings - by 60 years.
The beech tree is a long-liver; some individuals reach a respectable age of 400 years or more.
What does beech fruit look like?
The beech harvest is ripening in boxes.
Beech fruits are similar to a triangular acorn measuring up to 15 mm. Beech nuts are covered with a hard wooden shell; the seeds ripen in 2-4 pieces in a common nest box. Fresh beech fruits are suitable for propagation of the crop.
Usage
Beech is widely cultivated in Russia, which is planted for landscaping urban areas and is also used to form figured hedges. The culture is often included in group park plantings when creating a green landscape. Dense foliage makes this crop most suitable for planting in areas where industrial enterprises are located.
Where beech grows, the soils are protected from erosion, siltation and flooding. The branched root system of beech trees helps to increase soil fertility, saturating the soil layer with organic matter and inorganic compounds.
Beech wood is valuable for the furniture industry; curved parts of Viennese chairs, curly backs of sofas and other products are made from it. Beech wood is used to make musical instruments, plywood, parquet boards, and finishing veneer. Processing of beech raw materials is used in the production of alcohol and beer.
Beech wood takes on a unique pink color over time, but is only allowed to be used indoors.
Growing beech in open ground
When planting a beech tree in the garden, it is useful to remember that the plant can live in one place for centuries, requiring more and more free space around the trunk every year. Beeches can grow well in partial shade and full sun, but for favorable growth it is necessary to choose places protected from the wind for planting.
In the southern regions, the crop does not feel well in the summer heat; it is useful to frequently water the beeches and spray the crown.
The tree is undemanding to soil, but it is necessary to allocate the most humid area with fertile soil. The crop reacts negatively to soil salinity and prefers fertile loams with the addition of lime.
Care
Spring flowering of beech tree.
Beeches are sensitive to changes in temperature; the tree feels depressed when the air temperature drops below -5C. IN northern regions This crop should not be planted for cultivation in open ground. Considering that the tree reaches a considerable height, it is unrealistic to provide shelter for the trunk for the winter, so beeches should not be grown in the middle zone.
After planting beech seedlings in open ground It is necessary to provide young trees with regular watering and spraying. To reduce the growth of weeds and the evaporation of moisture from the tree trunk, it is worth mulching the soil under the planted trees.
Fertilizer for deciduous trees is applied to the tree trunks in early spring and late autumn.
Reproduction
Autumn beech forest.
To propagate beech, you can use basal shoots, which form in abundance near the stumps of felled trees 2-3 years after felling. The shoots are separated with part of the roots, after which the young tree is planted on permanent place in a hole with good fertile soil. The dimensions of the planting hole must correspond to the size of the roots. After planting, the tree is watered abundantly. In the first years after planting, young beeches grow very difficult, reaching their greatest height by 50 years.
Beech nuts ripen on mature trees that have already reached the age of 60-80 years. They can be planted in greenhouses in light fertile soil in the spring. Sometimes root growths form on nuts when stored in a damp room. It is very important to plant beech seeds in the ground in time, before the root seedlings dry out. You can speed up the germination of beech nuts by soaking them in stimulating solutions (Epin, Gumate, Zircon, aloe juice).
Young seedlings should be shaded from the burning summer sun, provide the plants with uniform, abundant watering, when grown in separate pots, strictly monitor the increase in the volume of the container as the roots grow.
It is difficult to describe the magnificence of an adult beech tree, because such power and beauty of luxurious foliage distinguishes this spectacular deciduous plant from other inhabitants of the park area; beech trees are especially beautiful in the fall, when the leaves are painted in all the colors of the fiery yellow palette.
Beech, or European beech as it is also called, is a majestic tree. These powerful and slender trees form wonderful parks in which silence and peaceful twilight reign. Almost no rays of the sun penetrate through the crown of this tree, which is a great salvation on hot summer days. Beech trees lend themselves very well to shaping and cutting, so they are widely used to create intricate, slightly magical hedges and walls.
Homeland European beech is the northern hemisphere. In fact, one look at this tree is enough to guess the place of its original origin; it is felt intuitively. Beech loves light and good, abundant watering. Can grow up to 50 meters high. And on legally, can be considered a long-lived tree. Planted by seeds.
If we describe the tree, it is worth noting the following features: first of all, beech is a large spreading tree with light gray, smooth bark. In autumn, beech foliage turns yellow and falls off. The tree trunk reaches one and a half meters in diameter. Tree trunks that are over a hundred years old can be up to three meters in diameter. The beech crown is spreading, ovoid, raised high above the ground. At the same time, the branches of the tree are thin, outstretched, and in plantings they look as if they want to reach the neighboring tree.
Beech bears fruit already in adulthood, reaching twenty to forty years, if the trees are in the plantation at sixty to eighty. IN favorable conditions lives up to 500 years, while growth gives up to 350 years.
On young trees the bark has a brownish color, on adults it is gray, while it is smooth and thin; this feature of the bark is retained by the plant for its entire life.
Beech roots deserve special mention. They are very powerful and at the same time shallow; in mature trees they crawl to the surface. There is no clearly defined tap root. It often happens that the roots of beech trees located nearby in the forest intertwine with each other, creating enchanting and slightly eerie sculptures stretching along the ground, which can resemble balls of large snakes.
The buds of the tree are long-pointed. The leaves of European beech are arranged alternately, in two rows, with drooping petioles. The foliage has a broadly pointed elliptical shape, is light green in color, turns yellow in the fall, then turns brown.
Beech flowers are of different sexes and bloom when the foliage blooms. The fruits of the beech tree are triangular nuts with sharp ribs. The shell of this nut is thin and shiny, about one and a half centimeters in length. Ripening time is late summer - early autumn. Shedding of nuts occurs in October-November. On average, the yield from one European beech is about eight kilograms of nuts. Harvesting occurs as the fruit ripens completely.
The beech tree has many beneficial and unique properties. The content of significant nutrients in beech nuts is impressive.
In addition, beech bark and leaves are of great value. An interesting fact is that beech nuts taste little different from pine nuts. They are food for forest dwellers and a real delicacy for humans. However, in their raw form they are very harmful to people and cannot be consumed raw; they must be fried, since they contain bitter fagin juice, which is harmful to humans.
Beech nuts produce oil similar in quality and properties to almond and olive oil. It is used in many industries human activity: cooking, medicine, cosmetology and others. It has a light yellow color. Beech fruit cake is rich in protein and is actively used to feed livestock, which in turn are not averse to enjoying this product, which is useful in all respects. European beech leaves contain vitamin K and tannins. Beech bark and leaves have been actively used in folk medicine for centuries to treat stomach and intestinal ailments.
European beech is inherently universal tree, it is easy and unpretentious to process. Beech wood is superior in properties to oak wood. Beech is widely and very actively used in various industries, since the tree has proven itself to be strong, durable and beautiful in appearance, both before and after processing. Drying the wood takes place quickly, and after this process the finished product There are practically no cracks left due to the dense structure of the wood. After processing, the dry board becomes absolutely smooth and can be used as a raw material for the manufacture of musical instruments, parquet and much more.
Beech is a very unpretentious tree. It gets along well on soil of any composition, loves warmth and abundant moisture, is frost-resistant, but can suffer from very severe frosts.
Pests and diseases of beech
Oddly enough, such a powerful plant as the European beech is susceptible to many unpleasant diseases and pest attacks.
Thus, under unfavorable living conditions, European beech may develop fungal disease(marble rot, trunk cancer, seedling rot, white peripheral root rot). Among the representatives of the fauna, the most dangerous pests are considered to be the well-known bark beetles and pine beetles, as well as feathered representatives of wildlife, and mammals who like to taste beech bark and leaves.
Use of forest beech
European beech wood is extremely popular in various branches of human activity. It is made from different kinds furniture and are actively used in construction industry. European beech is a source of tar, which is actively used in folk medicine and is one of important elements in skin and hair care. Beech ash is one of the ingredients for making glass, and beech wood is ideal for lighting a fireplace. It is also an interesting fact that European beech wood, like birch wood, is the most accessible raw material for paper production. If we take the food industry, beech chips are widely used for smoking sausages; in medicine and cosmetology, beech buds are used for anti-aging creams.
Beech is considered unique ornamental plant Thanks to its shape and color, it looks amazing in parks and alleys and will make an excellent company in any composition of shrubs, flowers and trees. In addition, the crown of the tree provides life-saving coolness on a hot day. Beech looks amazingly harmonious with such representatives of the plant world as fir, birch, maple, oak, spruce, as well as with lilac and juniper bushes. If the area is open, then the European beech will become a bright accent in such a single planting.
Due to their demand in many branches of human activity, beech forests were destroyed by “homo sapiens”. On this moment such forests are under the vigilant protection of the famous organization UNESCO. Places where European beech is grown artificially are also supervised and carefully protected.
The beech tree requires a significant amount of space so that viewers can feel its power and beauty. Beech is valued not only for its expressive habit, but also for the elegant color of its foliage: in variegated forms it is purple and does not fall off most winter.
- Height: from 6 to 40 m
- Width: from 6 to 20 m
- Classification by foliage type: deciduous tree
- Frost resistance: quite thermophilic, tolerates short drops in temperature down to -20 ° C
- Soil: Regular garden soil, moist, preferably loamy. Does not tolerate salinity
- Cultivation method: to create powerful groups and arrays, in solitary plantings in open areas. Forms beautiful clipped hedges and walls
- Pruning period: autumn
Landing
Prepare a planting hole in advance (1 x 1 m). The optimal soil for planting is peat compost, turf soil, peat and sand, ratio 2:2:1:1. When planting, 100 g of phosphorus and 50 g of potassium are added to the hole. A drainage system is required. Loosen the soil at the bottom, install the support, slightly shifting it relative to the center of the planting hole, then place the seedling strictly in the center. Secure the seedling to the support.
Trimming
Formative pruning
Make sure that the tree trunk always remains level - for this it must be constantly tied to a vertical support, the fastening must be adjusted. Remove any shoots that may compete with the main trunk.
Remove or cut lateral branches directed horizontally from the trunk to two-thirds of their length.
Sanitary pruning
When the crown is formed, all that remains is to regularly remove all dead and dried branches, as well as shoots that begin to grow in an undesirable direction. Do not forget to treat large cuts with garden varnish to avoid fungal infection.
Reproduction
Propagation by seeds
Seeds require stratification - keep the seeds in a vegetable drawer in the refrigerator before planting. Sow in a mini-greenhouse in February, keep the pots with seeds at a temperature of at least 15 °C.
Propagation by cuttings
Budding using the “under the bark” technique is carried out in the spring, using a shoot grown from a seed. You can graft “into the cleft.”
Care and agricultural technology
Beech tolerates drought extremely poorly - provide the seedling with plenty of water, especially in the first years after transplantation. Slow tree growth can be accelerated if you regularly add complex fertilizer for decorative deciduous trees and shrubs to the soil. Beech often suffers from fungal diseases - do not forget to treat trees with fungicides and insecticides annually for preventive purposes.
The tree trunk is powerful, smooth, covered with light gray bark. The branches are densely leafy, the crown is dense, cylindrical, rounded at the top.
The leaves are alternate, arranged in 2 rows. Their shape is elliptical, the veins are feathery, the edges are solid, slightly wavy. Slightly hairy underneath. The beautiful dark green color of the foliage changes to straw yellow or bronze in autumn.
Flowers are collected in inflorescences and appear simultaneously with the blossoming of leaves. Flowers of different sexes: staminate flowers have 8-12 stamens and are collected in capitate inflorescences, pistillate flowers are collected in groups of 2-4 and are surrounded by a plus, which grows and becomes woody as the fruits ripen.
The fruit-nuts are triangular, with sharp edges. The shell is thin, brown, shiny. Each nut contains 1-2 seeds.
How to care for beech
Beech has high shade tolerance and grows in both partial shade and sun. This tree is heat-loving, especially its decorative forms, so in areas of harsh climates you should choose protected places for planting. Beech loves moist air and does not tolerate drought well, so it needs watering. But it is undemanding to the soil: it grows on wet and dry, somewhat fertile soils, both slightly acidic and alkaline.
It prefers loam and the presence of lime, so it is useful, according to the site, to carry out liming. For good growth, the soil is fertilized; more details can be found in. Very sensitive to pollution and salinity.
Where is beech used?
Beech is a tree that lends itself well to cutting and shaping. Therefore, it is the most valuable plant when creating high hedges and green walls, which look very impressive. Recreation areas are created under the beech tree, thanks to its ability to provide dense shade. Different varieties beech with beautifully colored leaves is used to create compositions with other deciduous trees, as well as with coniferous trees.
Beech wood is used in the manufacture of musical instruments, furniture and other products.
Common types of beech
Eastern beech (F. orientalis Lipsky) grows in the Crimea, the Caucasus, the east of the Balkan Peninsula, and the north of Asia Minor. It grows in rich soils and can form both pure beech forests and forests mixed with other deciduous species. Very shade-tolerant and very thermophilic. It grows up to 50 m. At an altitude of 2000 m it grows in the form of large bushes. It differs from forest beech in having a more rounded crown, as well as large elongated leaves and a slightly different structure of perianths.
Beech is a long-lived plant, it can live up to half a century.
They are usually planted in the spring with seeds, the fruits of which are stored in semi-moist sand.
Germination persists throughout the year. They are also propagated by shoots and green cuttings, but the rooting rate is much lower - 12%. The first three years it grows slowly, then the pace accelerates. It tolerates rejuvenating pruning well and produces good growth from the stump.
The wood is white, with a yellowish tint. Low resistance to rotting. It is used in the furniture industry and for flooring. It is also used to produce tar, methyl alcohol, acetic acid, charcoal. Young leaves have a mild taste and are added to salads.
Forest beech is also called European beech (F. sylvatica L). It grows in Western Ukraine, Belarus, Western Europe. It forms both pure beech forests on slopes at an altitude of up to one and a half thousand meters above sea level, also mixed with deciduous trees. Very shade tolerant.
This species is distinguished by a slender trunk up to 30 m high and a powerful egg-shaped crown.
The trunk is covered with light gray bark, the young branches are reddish-brown. The large leaves are elliptical in shape, leathery, shiny, slightly wavy at the edges. Very impressive colors in autumn bright colors from yellow to copper. Female and male flowers are located separately on the branches. The fruits - triangular nuts - are dressed in plush.
European beech grows slowly, old trees get sick. Does not tolerate frost well, requires protected warm place. This breed forms beautiful hedges and walls. It can grow in sun and partial shade and can be combined with various deciduous ornamental trees. Does not like compacted soils, large changes in water level, or waterlogging. Long-lived, age reaches 400 years. It grows quite quickly, the growth in a year can be 50 cm. It is usually propagated by seeds, but cuttings take root poorly.
The fruits are slightly poisonous because they contain oxalic acid. large quantities. The seeds are edible, have a pleasant sweetish taste, and are consumed boiled or raw. Leaves that are not roughened can be added to salads and have a mild taste. The bark has pharmaceutical properties: antipyretic, antiseptic, expectorant, and helps with toothache.
Large-leaved beech (F. grandifolia Ehrh.) grows in eastern North America at low elevations, usually alongside other conifers and hardwoods.
Prefers moist, rich soils with a high humus content. It is highly winter-hardy, unlike other species, but young plants need to be covered. Loves moist soils.
Giant Beech (video)
The leaves of this species are beautiful: elliptical, pointed, silky. In summer they are bluish-green, dark, rich in color, and light green underneath. In autumn they turn red-brown. Like other species, it is shade-tolerant and unpretentious. Well suited for creating hedges and walls.
Beech is not just a majestic deciduous tree with the aesthetic properties of wood. Since ancient times, it has been considered as one of the most energetically favorable breeds. Even a small beech detail can improve a person’s physical and emotional state, inspire creativity, and give peace and tolerance. special tide vitality, youth and health were felt by those who, finding themselves in a beech forest, at least once leaned against the trunk of a tall and healthy tree. What is the secret of this amazing plant, what it looks like, where it grows, what properties it has and what diseases it can cure - we will talk about these and other features of the breed later in the article.
Description
Beeches (Fagus) are representatives of the genus of the same name and grow up to forty meters in height. Externally, they are characterized by slender columnar trunks, neat, densely shady spherical crowns and serrated leaves of an oblong-elliptical shape.
Did you know? There has long been a tradition of healing with trees. Old Believers say that bad energy should be given to spruce, and good energy should be taken from pine, beech and oak.
A characteristic feature of the tree is the location of its root system in surface soil balls. It does not have pronounced signs of a rod, and its lateral shoots are distinguished by anchor branches.
The small ends of the roots often point upward or branch like a brush in the layer of dead litter. In old trees, the root paws grow strongly, so they are characterized by typical hollows and grooves.
Beech trees are noticeable from a distance with their smooth grayish-silver bark and even, upright growing trunk. The tree lives up to 500 years, but the active period of its growth lasts only during the first century.
After eighty years, the trunk stops growing in height and only thickens. Old specimens can grow in diameter up to one and a half meters or more. Annual increases in the crown are still noticeable up to 350 years of age.
No other crops can grow under the shelter of these trees. Usually, under densely closed branches in clean forest plantings, only dead leaf litter is observed.
Did you know? Dendrotherapists say that to improve physical and emotional health, it is enough to have a small beech object with you. For example, beads or a bracelet. For the owner, this is not just decoration, but a source of vitality, creativity, common sense, balance, and also a strong antiseptic.
At the moment of blossoming of deciduous buds, which are distinguished by one and a half centimeters in length and a spindle-like shape, inflorescences appear from the lower axils. They are divided into male and female.
It is noticed that the former are located along the entire length of the branches, and the latter - only at their ends. After flowering throughout the summer, the fruit ripens - a triangular fleecy nut with sharp ribs. There are usually 2 or 4 of them in an achene.
The tree needs low temperatures in winter, as this has a positive effect on the development of female inflorescences. But at the same time, during flowering, it is afraid of excessive humidity and dryness. Indeed, in such conditions, pollen is doomed to death.
Moreover, in rainy season The sticky secretion released from the buds is washed off. And this in turn affects poor pollination.
Kinds
Botanists identify about a dozen species of beech trees. Let's look at the most popular of them.
European (Fagus sylvatica)
It is also called beech. This is the most common member of the Beech family, which is often found in western, central and eastern regions Europe (Denmark, Norway, Great Britain, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine, Greece, France, Spain, Portugal). In Ukraine, similar trees grow in the Carpathians, as well as in the Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Ternopil, Rivne, Khmelnytsky and Vinnytsia regions.
In addition, the species was introduced to the North American continent. In these parts, beech plantings form entire forest subzones, although the plant is often cultivated in botanical gardens, parks and arboretums.
Many gardeners prefer it in landscape design, using different breeding forms of the species. A special feature of European beech is its wood, which is widely used in furniture construction, and its fruits, which are used as food.
Did you know? IN Soviet times There was a state standard for the manufacture of wooden ice cream sticks. The Ministry of Health of the USSR strongly recommended that they be made only from beech. And all because, as scientists explain, this wood has no equal - it is completely absorbed in the human body.
The distinctive characteristics of European beech are its ovoid or wide cylindrical crown shape with a rounded top and thin branches. Its maximum area often reaches 315 m2.
Large leaf (Fagus grandifolia)
These flowering trees from the Beech family are well known in eastern zones North America and Western Europe. The extreme extent of their distribution extends from Nova Scotia along the St. Marys River to south coast Lake Superior, covering the states of Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Botanists identify separate habitats of large-leaved beech trees in Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas, as well as on the Mexican coasts.
The species came to European lands only at the end of the 18th century as an ornamental crop for landscape gardening. Over time, the quality of the wood was assessed. The plant can be found in mixed deciduous forests, where there are maples, birches and lindens.
The peculiarity of the species is its large elongated leaf plates. Each kidney extends up to 2.5 centimeters in length. The foliage is low pubescent, broadly lanceolate in shape. On average, the length of the leaves is 6-12 cm and the width is 3-6 cm.
The tree looks spectacular in any season: in the spring, young silky leaves attract the eye, in the summer they transform into a thick dark bluish-green cover of the crown, and in the fall they are filled with reddish-burgundy shades.
Important! Beech leaves and bark harvested for medicinal purposes should not be dried under straight sun rays. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation chemical composition raw materials, irreversible processes occur and useful components are destroyed. The best option for drying is a well-ventilated attic.
Oriental (Fagus orientalis)
The species is very common in coastal areas Black Sea and Caucasus. It is characterized by very slow growth and increased shade tolerance. This is why young eastern beeches produce abundant growth under forest cover, but when they grow to mature age, the branches close tightly, not giving even the grass a chance to grow.
It is characteristic that these plants occupy more than a quarter of all forests in the Caucasus. They develop better at an altitude of up to a thousand meters above sea level.
Vivid signs of this species are wavy, entire-edged foliage, as well as drooping, fleecy young shoots. The wood is distinguished by its white-yellow color and high physical and mechanical properties. The only drawback of beech boards is their poor resistance to rotting, which does not have the best effect on the durability of the material.
Experts advise that before use, be sure to treat lumber with special solutions, which improve its endurance.
Japanese (Fagus japonica)
This type of beech tree is common in Japanese islands Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and also on the Korean Peninsula. They prefer mountainous areas and can rise up to 2 thousand meters above sea level. Cultivated specimens can also be seen in European gardens, but not often.
Important! If the heat treatment is insufficient, beech fruits can cause poisoning, which is manifested by unpleasant sensations in the abdomen, general malaise, nausea, headaches, and acute gastroenteritis. In case of intoxication, it is recommended to rinse the gastrointestinal tract.
A characteristic feature of Japanese beech is its moderate growth. Compared to other brethren, representatives of this species do not grow higher than 20 meters and are often multi-trunked. Their foliage reaches 6-8 centimeters in length and is distinguished by a slightly heart-shaped base, as well as a fleecy central vein. The fruits of Japanese beech always have a more pointed end.
Taiwanese (Fagus hayatae)
It is a tree with a twenty-meter trunk and a neat, dense crown. The species' distribution is limited to Taiwan. But even in its homeland, the culture is rarely found in deciduous forests, since it is gradually being replaced by actively growing alpine beech. In addition, the Taiwanese variety practically does not produce young shoots.
Crenate (Fagus crenata)
This type of beech tree is distinguished by its slender trunks, which stretch up to 35 meters. The species is also characterized by a spherical dense crown, which consists of thin, tightly closed branches and leaves that reach 10 centimeters in length.
Crenate beeches are popular in Japan. Because they dominate local deciduous forests. Due to the prevalence of this plant, local chefs often practice adding young leaves to food, and the Japanese traditionally make coffee from beech nuts.
Did you know? Beeches attract lightning. This conclusion was reached by a group of researchers who studied the stripes left on trees without bark after severe thunderstorms. According to statistics, every hundredth tree suffered from a lightning strike. The top five most dangerous species are linden, spruce, poplar and oak.
Englera (Fagus engleriana)
The species is characterized by a 20-meter trunk height and a very voluminous crown that develops in the shape of an oval. This is due to strong branching. The plant differs from other beech trees in the elongated oval shape of its leaves.
The breed is considered rare. Found only in some areas of China People's Republic. Cultivated varieties can be seen in the garden landscapes of other countries.
Long-petiolate (Fagus longipetiolata)
This type of beech is often called South Chinese beech, due to the location of the tree’s distribution. Most often, their wild forest thickets are found in tropical forests Vietnam, as well as in the southeast of China. The smooth grayish trunk of long-petiolate beech does not grow higher than 25 meters. The rounded crown is slightly flat on top. 
Shining (Fagus lucida)
This variety, like the previous one, is better known to the people of China. It also develops upward no higher than 25 meters and is characterized by a neat rounded crown with edible small nuts. Distinctive feature species is a specific reflection on the bark.
Where does it grow
Beech trees have inhabited our planet for a long time. It has been scientifically proven that 85 million years BC these plants occupied a vast area on most continents. At that time, the extreme line of their range ran from Canada through Alaska, Greenland, Kamchatka and the Urals. But after 62 million years, beeches occupied the southern territories of Eurasia and North America, displacing typical subtropical vegetation.
After the offensive ice age beech trees were replaced by conifers in northern Europe. This is evidenced by fossil wood remains discovered in Scotland.
Today, botanists rank beech among the most common representatives of the flora. In any corner of the world: be it in the lowlands or in the mountains, you can find them. Moreover, these trees will be dominant in mixed or deciduous forests.
If you look closely modern map world, then beech trees can safely be given to the entire temperate and subtropical climate zones Northern Hemisphere. The trees do not climb higher than 2.5 thousand meters above sea level, they prefer fertile loamy substrates with an alkaline and slightly acidic pH reaction, they are distinguished by increased endurance, and are not demanding.
Important! Experts call the first half of autumn the best period for harvesting beech wood.
Medicinal properties
For a long time, humanity has been practicing beech herbal medicine, using the foliage, bark and oil of the majestic plant for these purposes. Healing decoctions, teas, baths, lotions, and compresses are prepared from its raw materials.
The medicinal properties of the culture are very extensive. Bioenergetics interprets it as an additional source of vitality, knowledge and inner peace. It’s not for nothing that furniture made from beech wood is still highly valued today.
According to experts, beech has the following medicinal effects:
- calms the nervous system;
- helps with insomnia;
- improves blood circulation;
- heals wounds;
- has an antiseptic effect;
- has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
- normalizes blood sugar levels;
- relieves pain and relieves swelling;
- improves appetite;
- raises vitality;
- normalizes liver function;
- improves the condition of skin, nails and hair;
- helps with rheumatism (massages with beech oil are indicated);
- improves metabolic processes;
- prevents the development of anemia and vitamin deficiency;
- cleanses the body of cholesterol, free radicals and toxins;
- helps with diseases of the upper respiratory tract, bronchi and lungs.
Important! Beech nuts are suitable for consumption, but they should absolutely not be eaten raw. It's connected with big amount toxic alkaloids that are neutralized by frying.
Video: beech nuts
Application
Beech is valued on the farm not only as an energy amulet and medicinal raw material. Many cultivated species of this breed are widely used in landscape gardening. In this option, trees can be located in single or group plantings. Very often they represent individual green areas in forest parks, and are also an excellent material for creating hedges.
In many countries, the most important resort and aesthetic significance is assigned to beech forests. As a rule, it is in these areas that prestigious health institutions for children and adults are located.
Ecologists emphasize the role of beech trees in purifying the air and protecting the soil from erosion and weathering. According to experts, beech plantings contribute to the penetration of surface water runoff into deep soil layers.This ensures uniform replenishment of natural reservoirs. precipitation and their silting is prevented. Studies have shown that in such forests there are never large soil erosions. Meanwhile, tree roots release substances that increase the fertility of the substrate.
Old trees are cut down in order to obtain valuable wood. It is widely used in carpentry, for the manufacture of furniture, musical instruments (guitars, violins), parquet, weaving parts, measuring equipment, gun stocks, and wooden containers.
Did you know? English brewers even use beech to make the beloved Budweiser drink, adding wood chips during brewing..
Characteristic features beech wood are:- white or yellowish-red tonality, which over time turns into pinkish-brown;
- density;
- satisfactory moisture resistance;
- heaviness;
- tendency to deformation with high moisture;
- ease of processing and polishing;
- fragility in outdoor conditions.
Beech trees have also found their use in cooking. For example, acetic acid is made from their wood, and the nuts are used for desserts and baked goods. This raw material is also the basis for the production of tar, methyl alcohol and creosote oils.
Note that, based on the rich vitamin and mineral composition of beech fruits, in places where there are many of these trees, local residents Pancakes, pancakes and shortbread from nut flour. And in the Caucasus and in the Carpathian regions, this ingredient is used for all bakery products.
The most valuable oil is obtained from beech fruits, which is widely used for food purposes (in taste it is not much inferior to Provencal oil), as well as in cosmetology. It is added to various masks as a nourishing ingredient for hair, face and skin. Depending on the manufacturing technology, beech oil technical types used for feeding livestock and coffee surrogate.
The raw material for beech oil is plane trees (beech nuts)
Important! Beech therapy is strictly contraindicated for people prone to allergic reactions, as well as with individual intolerance to the constituent components. Therefore, experts advise conducting a test before using any plant raw materials for food or cosmetic purposes. To do this, simply apply a small amount of the drug to the area with sensitive skin..
In addition, beech raw materials are widely used in folk medicine. For many diseases, a universal cure is ordinary tea, prepared from a teaspoon of dry crushed leaves and a glass of boiling water. This drink is recommended up to 1 liter per day.
And for those who love forest walks, bioenergeticists advise finding a young and strong tree, leaning your back against it and mentally “merging” with it into a single whole. Such practices give a boost of strength and health.
Reproduction
Beeches are characterized as shade-tolerant and undemanding plants that adapt to any conditions. Therefore, they reproduce easily and quickly. Under natural conditions, this process is most often carried out by seed, as well as with the help of root shoots, which occasionally produce young shoots.
But there are other techniques for obtaining young seedlings. Let's look at them in more detail:
Care
All types of beech trees are sensitive to air pollution and soil salinity. For planting, it is better to choose loamy areas with calcareous components. If there are none, you will have to resort to liming.
In the spring, it is advisable to apply complex mineral fertilizers, which will improve the development of the seedling. Moreover, for the first 3 years after planting it practically does not grow.
Trees respond well to sanitary pruning and crown formation. They react calmly to shade and scorching sun, but do not tolerate northern winds, drafts, prolonged drops in temperature and drought.
Beeches prefer warm and moderately humid air. Therefore, when grown in a household plot, young trees require periodic watering and liming of the soil. Also among the important care procedures is the annual removal of old, frozen or diseased branches.
In the first years after planting, rooted seedlings require preventive spraying against harmful insects and pathogens. Also, do not forget to loosen the soil in the tree trunk circle and remove weeds. To retain moisture in the soil for as long as possible, you can mulch it with mowed grass.
Did you know? Indian yogis believe that beeches, more than other trees, absorb energy coming from space and, when entering the human habitation, constantly share it with the inhabitants.
Diseases and pests
Despite the half-century life span of beech trees, they are very sensitive to diseases and pests. Therefore, timely preventive measures will only benefit young seedlings.
Of all the fauna, the most dangerous for beech trees are:
- beech shuttle;
- red-tailed caterpillar;
- gypsy moth butterflies;
- peeled orange and yellow-gray;
- shooters;
- beech strophedra;
- lacewings;
- beech strep moth;
- whole-edged corydalis;
- forktail;
- moth moth;
- wood borer;
- grain barbel;
- narrow-bodied oak borers;
- pine beetles;
Loading...
