Beech is a powerful, straight-trunked tree reaching a height of fifty meters, with a dense, almost impenetrable sun rays crown, with smooth light gray trunk bark. Three types of beech grow in Russia: large-leaved, forest and oriental. Beech is a long-lived tree; meeting a five-hundred-year-old specimen in its thickets is common. The operational and forestry significance of this tree is enormous. Beech wood has beautiful drawing, white with a yellowish-red tint, light, not much inferior in strength to oak.
When the trees stand alone, thanks to their widely spread branches and dense foliage, they form a spreading, dense tent, through which even the rays of the southern sun do not penetrate. They respond well to cutting and shaping and can be used to create tall hedges, walls and curly shapes.
In terms of its appearance and biological characteristics, it occupies the same place among deciduous species as spruce among conifers. In terms of crown density and shade tolerance, it is not inferior to spruce and fir. The genus includes 9 species, distributed in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere.
Photo: Gilles Douaire
The fruit of the beech tree is a triangular shiny brown nut, slightly larger in size. sunflower seed(a hundred beech nuts weigh no more than 20 grams). At favorable conditions Growing from one hectare of beech grove, you can get several million nuts containing a whole storehouse of nutrients - vitamins, carbohydrates, fats, tanning agents, organic acids. Beech nuts are not inferior in taste to pine nuts and are a real delicacy for wild animals and birds. People use pre-roasted beech nuts for food because of the content they contain. potent substance- fagina in fresh their use is not recommended.
Beech oil is of great value; it is not inferior in quality to expensive almond and olive oils. Beech oil has a pleasant light yellow tint and is successfully used in the confectionery, canning, baking, medicine and perfumery industries. various industries technology. Cake - a waste product from oil production, rich in protein, is fed to farm animals and poultry.
Beech leaves contain a large number of tannins and vitamin K, they are successfully used in traditional medicine for the treatment gastrointestinal diseases, to stop internal bleeding- in the form of decoctions and infusions.
The role of beech in the history and mythology of various ethnic groups is noteworthy. Many traditions consider it a symbol ancient knowledge, majesty, prosperity, victory and perseverance. It was told to the supreme gods - Perun, Zeus, Jupiter. Planted near the house in two, it will maintain energy balance and good relations among the inhabitants. In a number of languages of the Germanic group, the name of the tree coincides with the word book. Indeed, ancient runes were written on wooden sticks made from beech, and our ancestors learned to read and write on similar beech tablets covered with wax.
Properties of beech wood
Beech wood from mountainous areas is considered to be of higher quality. The density of beech wood is about 700kg/m3. The wood is quite hard and dense, but is susceptible to rotting, so it is not recommended to use it outdoors. Sapwood and heartwood are almost indistinguishable in color. In the sun it darkens and acquires a reddish tint. The texture of the wood is especially clearly visible in radial and tangential sections. Beech materials come in a variety of shades, from light to reddish yellow. Beech wood lends itself well to processing and sands well. Beech makes excellent veneer. But, since beech wood is quite hygroscopic, large fluctuations in humidity and temperature in the room where beech lumber is stored should not be allowed. Beech wood is even superior to oak wood in some respects. After drying, beech becomes stronger than oak. Currently, beech is one of the most popular and sought-after lumber, possessing exceptional beauty and strength.
The drying process is much faster, and there are significantly fewer cracks. After drying, most indicators improve; a dry beech board becomes stronger than oak when bending, exceeds it in rigidity and shear resistance by 20% and is significantly stronger under impact loads. Beech boards are an excellent material for interior finishing work. Typically, a dry board is processed without complications and gives a smooth surface. Easily chipped, sawed and processed with hand tools. Easily glued, bent, etched with dyes. Used for making musical instruments and plywood. Stairs and parquet are also made from beech boards. Beech produces excellent veneer.
The wood chemical industry uses beech wood to produce methyl alcohol, acetone, furfural - a substance that is a raw material for the production of many medicines, xylitol - a sugar substitute, tar and creosote - a disinfectant used in medicine and in construction to protect wood from rotting. In pharmaceutical practice, creosote is used in the treatment of skin diseases, as a potent disinfectant, as well as against tapeworms, for putrefactive processes in the lungs and bronchi, for abnormal fermentation phenomena in the stomach and intestines - orally in the form of tablets, gelatin capsules and others. dosage forms, masking bad smell creosote.
Main types of beech
Beech, or European beech. A large tree with a slender trunk and a powerful ovoid crown from 25 to 30 or 40 m tall and up to 15 m wide. The branches of forest beech are arched or arranged horizontally. The leaves of forest beech are large, elliptical, slightly wavy along the edges, shiny, leathery, dark green in summer and very impressively colored in autumn - in yellow and copper tones. In nature, forest beech grows in Europe, including in Russia, Western Ukraine and Belarus.
Eastern beech. Tree up to 40 (50) m tall with a wide rounded or ovoid crown. Eastern beech is close in appearance to forest beech, but differs from it in its more rounded crown and larger, longer leaves. In nature, eastern beech grows in the Caucasus, Crimea, and northern Asia Minor.
Large-leaved beech. Tree up to 30-40 m tall with bluish-gray bark and pyramidal crown. The leaves of large-leaved beech are bright, bluish-green, oval or oblong, pointed. The homeland of the plants is North America.
The fruits of the beech tree are sometimes called beech nuts or plane trees, but the beech tree is not a member of the nut family, although its fruits are edible.
Beech fruits have three sides and these fruits look a bit like acorns, which is why they are sometimes called acorns.
Judging by the picture, the fruit beech- this is a favorite nut from childhood, they were always called affectionately and loudly, plane trees!
When fried, the skin becomes crispy and easily separates from the tasty kernel, which tastes attractive and can be eaten in unlimited quantities.
Answer Nut-6 letters Chinarik.
nut, a three-sided nut with a taste similar to a pine nut, is used as food by both animals and humans (only fried, it cannot be eaten raw!), and is used in perfumery, medicine, and cooking.
The fruit of beech trees is called nut. The nut itself is triangular in shape, medium in size with a woody, dense shell. You can eat either fried or boiled nuts; you cannot eat them raw, as they contain a substance that can cause poisoning. In addition, beech nuts are used to make butter and flour, which are then used in cooking confectionery. In the Caucasus, these nuts are eaten as seeds)
Ah, those pesky beech nuts! There is a lot of garbage from them; when ripe, they fall on their heads, fall on lawns, spoil the grass, and sometimes squirrels throw off empty nuts.
Beech fruits are called nut, they are in prickly boxes, which then open, and nuts are strewn all around the tree.
Beech fruits are called beech nuts, they are small in size - about fifteen millimeters in length.
Beech nuts are used in the production of tar.
Beech nuts are edible when roasted or boiled and can be used to make a drink that is somewhat similar to coffee.
Beech nuts are used to make flour and extract oil.
Beech (Fagussylvatica) is a deciduous tree with light grayish bark that grows up to 50 m. The trunk of an adult tree resembles a cylinder and has a girth of 1.5 m. The beech crown resembles an oval or cylinder and is located in the upper part of the trunk. Due to the dense leaf cover, the lower leaves gradually die off, forming a crown on bare branches.
The tree loves shade and loamy soils; grows in the forest or as single specimens.
Beech's growing range covers individual countries Northern, Central and Southern Europe, capturing part of Ukraine. Not found in the wild in Belarus.
Physical properties of beech
Beech has hard and dense wood with streaks of texture, which gradually changes color during storage from yellowish to pink-brown.
Beech is easy to process, easy to sand, chip and bend. Beech wood is suitable for making furniture, musical instruments, veneer, and plywood. Beech is used to make parquet and lumber for construction. Beech processing waste is used to fire stoves and fireplaces.
Beech is susceptible to destruction by fungi, mold and rot in conditions high humidity and in contact with the ground, therefore, when constructing outdoors, it requires treatment with special protective compounds. It is recommended to process fallen beech trees immediately after harvesting.
To improve performance characteristics and color correction, beech wood is treated with special protective and tinting compounds.
Common defects of beech wood
False core
Beech is nuclear-free deciduous trees, which are characterized by abnormal darkening of the wood in the center of the trunk, resembling the shape of a real core.
The appearance and development of a false kernel is associated with infection of the tree by fungi through a damaged trunk and dead branches. Gradually, the cells inside the trunk die and a false nucleus is formed. Intensive growth of hyphal threads leads to the destruction of cell walls and the development of rot.
With such an infection, the performance characteristics of the wood do not deteriorate, and the plant is considered a tree with a “healthy” false core, or a core without rotting (small differences are noticeable in longitudinal stretching, bending upon impact and end hardness).
If the false core appears after infection with wood-destroying fungi, then over time the core of the trunk is affected by rot. Areas of wood with rot are identified by the presence of white discolorations and black sinuous lines.
Choking
On round beech lumber, which is stored in summer, warm spring or autumn conditions high humidity, observe a color change caused by infection with wood-decaying fungi.
Choking occurs in two stages:
- Uniform brown-red color (wood browning);
- Striping (gray-brown, violet-brown and dark stripes).
The next stage of structural changes in wood is considered a separate defect, which is called “marble.”
Favorable conditions for the development of wood-decaying fungi:
- Temperature 15-25°C
- Humidity 30-60%
Types of suffocation:
- Butt choke develops on the surface of the cut and gradually spreads along the assortment parallel to the direction of the fibers.
- Side choke develops on the outer surface of the assortment and gradually moves towards the center.
Due to breathing, the ability of wood to withstand impact bending is reduced by 30%, as well as the ability to be impregnated with antiseptic protective agents.
Marble rot ("marble")
This is the final stage of suffocation, which is identified as a separate wood defect. Marble is identified by discolored spots and stripes on the wood, delimited by dark brown sinuous lines. The last stage of marble is loosening and softening of wood tissue, accompanied by loss of mass and grinding into dust.
Marble rot is identified by large cracks in the sawn timber and developed fruiting bodies of fungi (the outer surfaces of the lumber do not change). To determine the volume and depth of the lesion, it is recommended to carry out trial sawing or chopping of assortments.
Marble rot worsens the physical and mechanical properties of beech wood. When the first signs of marble appear, the static bending strength is reduced by 30%, and the impact bending resistance by 60%.
At the final stage of development, wood loses its ability to resist mechanical loads and is only suitable for heating (taking into account the reduced thermal output).
Grade of beech lumber in accordance with GOST
The grade of beech lumber is determined by the presence and degree of manifestation of the following defects and processing defects:
- Dimensional accuracy;
- Humidity;
- Rot;
- Cracks;
- Knots;
- Mold damage;
- Breakouts, etc.
First grade (Grade A)
Does not allow:
- fused healthy knots with a diameter of more than 1 cm; knots on faces more than 10 cm wide; knots on the edges (more than 1/3 of the thickness for a single and paired knot), as well as more than 20 partially fused and unfused knots;
- falling out and rotten knots, cracks, porosity, mushroom spots and rot;
- acute wane
Allows:
- individual stripes and spots of mold and fungal stains on the sapwood;
- blunt wane (up to 1/5 of the width of the lumber);
- longitudinal winging of the face and edge (up to 0.5% of the length);
- transverse winging (up to 1% of the width of the lumber).
Second grade (Grade B)
Does not allow:
- fused healthy knots with a diameter of more than 2 cm; knots on faces more than 20 cm wide; knots on the edges (more than 1/2 thickness for single and paired knots), as well as more than 40 partially fused and unfused knots;
- falling out and rotten knots, cracks, porosity, mushroom spots and rot - more than 10 pcs.;
- sharp wane more than ¼ of the edge width.
Allows:
- mold damage;
- wormholes (but no more than 3);
- mechanical damage and processing defects within 5 mm;
- slope of the cut within 5% of the thickness and width of the lumber;
- blunt wane (up to 1/3 of the width of the lumber);
- longitudinal winging of the face and edge (up to 1% of the length);
- transverse winging (up to 2% of the width of the lumber).
Third grade (Grade C)
Does not allow:
- fused healthy knots with a diameter of more than 5 cm; knots on faces more than 50 cm wide; partially fused and unfused knots more than 30 pieces;
- falling out and rotten knots, cracks, porosity, fungal spots and rot - more than 25 pcs.;
- sharp wane more than 1/2 of the width of the edge.
Allows:
- knots on the edges;
- mold damage;
- wormholes (no more than 5);
- mechanical damage, processing defects and minor deformations;
- slope of the cut within 5% of the thickness and width of the lumber;
- blunt wane (up to 1/2 of the width of the lumber);
- longitudinal winging of the face and edge (up to 2% of the length);
- transverse winging (up to 3% of the width of the lumber).
Application of beech
According to operational and physical properties Beech wood, at a lower price, is significantly superior to birch or pine and comparable to oak.
In construction, beech is used to a limited extent in the form of massive parts due to insufficient dimensional stability.
Due to its dense wood, beech is suitable for making wooden stairs and floors in residential buildings.
In Minsk you can buy inexpensive beech paneling in white, yellowish or pink, which is used for interior decoration of residential premises.
Before using outdoors, lumber and beech products require additional treatment with protective compounds to prevent rotting, fungi and mold.
Low-grade beech is used as heat-intensive fuel for stoves, fireplaces and grills.
In descriptions of interior doors and the types of trees from which they are made, the term “wood density” often appears. Descriptions are good, but they don't provide as clear an understanding as numbers - what it means " oak wood is a little denser"? Values in the form of numbers give an accurate picture, on the basis of which you yourself can decide which wood is most suitable for making interior doors.
What is wood density
Before moving on to the numbers, let's decide that is the density of wood and why you need to know it.
The density of wood is the ratio of its mass to volume.
Simply put, the more a cubic meter of wood weighs, the denser it is. The density of wood, simply called wood density, depends on the humidity of the environment, so it is customary to operate with values obtained at a humidity of 12%.
It should be noted that the density values are approximate figures, because even one piece of wood in different places can have different densities.
We've sorted out the first question, let's move on to the second. The density of wood directly affects two important properties - strength and hygroscopicity. Dense wood has higher strength and, in most cases, hygroscopicity. The latter term means that doors made of high-density wood are more susceptible to changes in humidity - everyone knows that wood tends to absorb moisture and expand. For this reason, doors made of aspen, linden or pine, located at the very bottom of the table, are used in saunas and baths, where beech doors would simply stop closing.
Wood density indicators
Values are given in grams per cubic centimeter(g/cm3) at a humidity of 12%. Please note that in some cases average values are given.
The right column shows the values of wood hardness using the Brinell method, which generally confirm the dependence of wood hardness on its density.
| Breed | Density | Hardness |
| High Density Rocks | ||
| Brazil nut | 0.9 | 5.9 |
| Ash | 0.75 | 4.0 |
| Canadian maple | 0.71 | 4.7 |
| Medium density rocks | ||
| Oak | 0.69 | 3.7 |
| Beech | 0.68 | 3.8 |
| Teak | 0.67 | 3.6 |
| Larch | 0.66 | 3.2 |
| Elm | 0.66 | 3.0 |
| European maple | 0.65 | 3.6 |
| American black walnut European walnut |
0.65 | 3.4 |
| Birch | 0.65 | 2.6 |
| Low Density Rocks | ||
| Linden | 0.53 | 1.5 |
| Pine | 0.52 | 1.6 |
| Aspen | 0.51 | 1.8 |
| Alder | 0.49 | 2.1 |
| Spruce | 0.45 | 1.6 |
Beech is unique plant. Analogs to this type of tree does not exist in the world. Beech takes root with great difficulty in non-native areas. It took Russian breeders and scientists almost a century and a half to ensure that it could grow on the territory of our country, at least in a collection form. That is why beech is especially highly valued among other types of materials. In most countries, its wood is imported, expensive and very rare. And objects that are made from this wood or have it in their composition are valued much higher than similar things that contain this valuable and rare material Excluded.
Description of the tree
Beech is a rare and beautiful tree, very popular in various fields of industry and even art.
In appearance and biological distinctive features It occupies the same place among deciduous plant species as spruce among conifers. By crown density and shade tolerance this tree is not inferior to spruces and firs. The family has only 9 species, which are distributed in the temperate zone in the Northern Hemisphere. The main areas where beech grows are:
- Western Ukraine,
- Germany,
- Crimea,
- Caucasus.
Beech mainly grows in mountainous areas, creating dense forests that have not only aesthetic, but also significant sanitary and resort value.
Beech has a very durable and hard wood, which at the same time lends itself perfectly to any options for modern technological processing:
- easy to cut and bend,
- excellent sanding,
- subject to staining.
Beech wood has a wide range of colors - from pure white to pink shades. There are times when this multicoloredness even gets in the way, and in order for the wood to get a uniform tone, it is steamed. This is a fairly long procedure: it can take up to 3 days. However, if this is neglected, the texture of the wood will become quite variegated.
Beech color stabilization and its shift to the level of intense red tones is obtained through special heat treatment. This method is used to achieve the production of so-called smoky beech. The appearance of beech wood is mottled and the texture is fine, but quite beautiful.
Beech wood has increased moisture resistance; even after being in water for a long time, it does not lose its excellent strength properties, but the influence of air masses turns out to be detrimental to it and contributes to rapid destruction.
Due to its simplicity and ease of sanding, beech wood is extremely highly valued by furniture makers. Beech is also in great demand among architects, who prefer to use it as an excellent material for exterior and interior decoration. The attractive pinkish tone of beech wood creates a special atmosphere in the room, full of warmth and comfort.
Mighty, light-gray, even trunks, cleared of knots to a high level, form a majestic colonnade in the plantings, inside which semi-darkness and silence reign. When standing alone, they form a dense branched tent, through which even the rays of the scorching southern sun do not penetrate.
The crown of this powerful tree lends itself well to cutting and shaping, which can be used to form high living fences, walls and relief forms.
History of beech breeding
In the printed registers of the Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg, the beech is practically not mentioned; there are only brief notes dated 1796, which say that the tree is being studied and attempts are being made to breed it. In 1824 it was mentioned that some of its species were grown in potted arboretum and greenhouses. First reliable growing experiment trees of this species in open soil belongs to F. Fischer, who has been studying beech since 1833.
In his further notes it was noted that the forest beech died in 1834, its red-leaved species was also noted in the notes - after 1835. Subsequently, they were grown only in potted arboretum (after 1873). At the beginning of the 20th century, until 1917, beech was already planted in medicinal plant plots and in permanent areas in parks. Their secondary introduction into cultivation in open soil in the early 1930s was especially successful. XX century. The trees were under close attention breeders until 1935-2005.
Another type of beech was imported from the city of Achishkho from the Caucasus (specifically from Krasnaya Polyana) in 1930, they were engaged in its selection for eight years, in 1938 it was planted in the park, however, apparently, until 1942, it unfortunately, he died. It was reintroduced into collection plantings in 1949-1976, and then again in 1980-2006.
General characteristics of beech trees
All listed species reproduce by layering and grafting. From the general variety, trees are distinguished by a group of certain characteristics. They are presented in detail below.
Decorative types of beech
Inhabits vast territories in the Crimea, the Caucasus, and the northern part of Asia Minor. Grows in various reserves of the European part Russian Federation, Caucasus and Crimea. Forms pure forests and grows next to broad-leaved species on fertile lands. It is an extremely shade-tolerant mesophyte.
Tree up to 50 m tall, with extensive round or oval crown. Very close to forest beech, but with a more even crown, more large, elongated leaves up to 20 cm in length and a slightly different perianth structure. Sometimes it can produce root shoots and rich first growth. Regarding factors external environment they are also similar, with the exception of one thing: the eastern beech is more heat-loving. Lives 300-500 years. It has been celebrated in culture since 1904. It is successfully combined in compositions with the following plants:
- chestnut,
- eastern spruce,
- Weymouth pine,
- oaks and other species.
One sample (4 copies) was included in the GBS in 1956 with the mark "of unknown origin". Has the following description:
- This is a shrub, at the age of 22 years it has a height of 7.5 m, with a crown diameter of 300 cm.
- The growing season lasts 169 days.
- The first three years of life are characterized by an average growth rate.
- Doesn't bloom.
Frost resistance is average. Only 12% of cuttings take root. Has decorative properties. Need for continued testing.
It can also be noted that the fruits of this type of beech are stored for spring sowing in half-damp sand, for autumn - in woven bags in a non-damp and unheated room. Germination is stored until the spring of the next year. Soil germination rates are 76-86%. The embedment depth is 5-7 cm.
European beech, or forest beech
It grows wild in Western Ukraine, Western Europe and Belarus. It exists in a number of nature reserves in the European part of the Russian Federation. Forms pure forests on natural slopes up to 1.4 km above sea level, as well as with other broad-leaved species on fertile lands. Extremely shade-tolerant plant.
A tall tree up to 30 m in height, characterized by a stately trunk and a powerful ovoid crown. The bark of young branches is red-brown, that of the trunks is bright gray, monochromatic. The leaves are large - up to 10 cm in length, oval, slightly wavy along the edge, glossy, one might say leathery, dark green in color. summer period and extremely impressively colored in autumn, from yellow to reddish-yellow tones. Men's and female flowers placed on the processes separately. The fruit is a triangular nut about 1.5 cm in length, covered with a plus, shrouded in subulate-shaped outgrowths.
This plant grows slowly, it is very shade-tolerant and heat-loving (mainly ornamental species), it is sensitive to the level of air humidity, it can hardly withstand drought, and it ripens well on soils rich in lime. It can live up to 500 years, but mature trees are almost always diseased and can almost never be used to create household items, furniture and other products.
Propagated by seeds, layering, summer cuttings. This breed is the most valuable for construction. It is used to form massive groups and areas in gardens and forest parks, parks, and in single plantings. Creates magnificent living fences and walls. It has been in culture for a long time. Mixes successfully with trees like:
- white fir,
- hook pine,
- spruce,
- yew berry,
- Canadian hemlock,
- juniper,
- birch,
- sycamore,
- hornbeam,
- Rowan,
- hazel,
- euonymus,
- rose rugosa, etc.
Beech can grow both in the sun and in partial shade. Winter hardiness is low. In the conditions of the Moscow region it can freeze; it requires a warm, impenetrable place.
Many noted decorative species, which differ from the original type of beech tree in such indicators as:
- form,
- leaf color and size,
- general appearance,
- structure of the cortex.
Beech wood white with a yellowish or reddish tint. The annual layers are clearly visible. On a radial section, wide shiny stripes are visible - these are the medullary rays; on a tangential section, they look like lentils, brown in color, which create a characteristic dotted pattern. Mature wood from old trees can sometimes have a reddish-brown color. But this does not in any way affect the quality of the wood; on the contrary, mahogany craftsmen highly value such trees, however, they are not found so often. Thanks to a special steaming method, beech wood It turns out a brighter, more pronounced red-brown color.
Physical properties of beech
Beech wood has good resistance to deformation, almost the same as oak. In addition, such wood holds fastenings (nails, screws) well. Beech, among other things, has perhaps the highest bending ability, which is widely used in the production of bent furniture. In terms of resistance to decay, beech belongs to the group of medium-resistant species. However, the core of pine wood, and especially oak, is more resistant to decay than the core of beech, and the sapwood of beech wood is low-resistant.Beech texture
Beech has a characteristic rich structure due to clearly visible annual layers and a developed system of medullary rays, colored darker than the main wood.The color of beech wood is characterized by the following parameter values:
- color tone - 582.7 NM;
- purity - 41.6%;
- lightness - 35.0%.
The microroughness remaining after processing the surface of beech wood, as well as many other scattered vascular species, is 30-100 microns, which is approximately two times lower than that of oak.
Physical properties
Humidity and related properties. Freshly cut beech wood has a moisture content of about 80%. Maximum humidity during water absorption is 120%. Beech, like oak, is a highly drying species. Tangential shrinkage of the early zone of the annual layer is 11.4% for beech (pine - 6.7%; larch - 7.8%; oak - 8.4%), late zone - 11.8% (pine - 7.5% ; larch - 9.4%; oak - 9.8%).Average values of shrinkage coefficient:
- radial - 0.17;
- tangential - 0.32;
- volumetric - 0.47.
Density
Beech is a medium-density species. The average density of beech wood at standard humidity (12%) is 680 kg/m", absolutely dry - 650 kg/m", base density - 560 kg/m." The air permeability of beech is more than an order of magnitude higher than that of oak core wood.Mechanical properties
In terms of strength properties, beech wood is practically not inferior to oak. Let us present the average data mechanical properties(GSSSD) beech (standard humidity - 12%).Tensile strength
- with static bending - 104 MPa;
- when stretched along the fibers -124 MPa;
- when stretched across the fibers -| 12.5 MPa;
- when compressed along the fibers - 53 MPa;
- when shearing along a radial plane - 12D MPa.
Technological and operational properties
- impact strength - 7.6 kJ/m2;
- hardness: end - 65.1 N/mm 2; radial - 53.2 N/mm 2; tangential - 49.5 N/mm 2;
- microhardness: early zone - 57.0 MPa; medullary rays - 84.2 MPa;
- impact hardness - 0.96 J/cm2;
- wear resistance (abrasion): cross section - 0.10 mm;
- radial - 0.17 mm;
- tangential - 0.14 mm.
Beech according to the European standard EN 350-2:1994 belongs to the group of unstable species (pine - moderately resistant, oak - resistant). According to the resistance scale adopted in Russia (one is the resistance of linden sapwood), beech has the following indicators: mature wood - 3.3 (sound oak - 5.2), beech wood sapwood - 2.5 (ash wood sapwood - 4.6 ).
Beech wood is more susceptible to fungal infections than oak wood. Beech absorbs moisture from the air more strongly; it is for this reason that the exterior decoration of houses is not made using beech. However, beech wood can be easily processed; it can be coated with a variety of paints and varnishes and various protective substances.
Application area of beech
Beech wood has a rich texture, it is easy and easy to process, which is why it has always been widely used by furniture makers. Austrian furniture manufacturer Michael Thonet has ensured enormous popularity for beech products. His famous Viennese chair made of bent beech wood became a record holder, and probably no one will be able to break this record. Fifty million of these chairs were produced worldwide.Thanks to the elegant beech parquet, the atmosphere in the room becomes discreet and noble. The light pink tint is amazing feelings warmth. Beech flooring has a simple and noble structure, which is an excellent finishing touch to any interior. Beech wood parquet is quite popular in Europe precisely because of its unusual structure.
In addition, due to the pleasant warm shade of wood, it is used for the production of small products, for example, tool handles, etc. Beech is also indispensable for obtaining excellent sliced veneer. For this purpose, mainly large assortments are used. Beech is used in the production of barrels because it is quite strong and bends easily. It produces high-quality charcoal and other forest chemical products
Main features of beech
Beech wood has a fairly diverse range of colors - from pale pink to completely white. To give the wood a more uniform shade, the beech is pre-steamed. Otherwise, the texture of the wood will be too colorful. This entire procedure takes almost three days.Beech wood strongly absorbs moisture from the surrounding air; craftsmen even called it “capricious” for this, and some even called it “nervous”. In order to protect the product, special varnishes and other protective equipment. Beech is highly wear-resistant, which is why it is often used to make
European beech or as it is also called - 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.
The beech bears fruit already in mature age, reaching twenty to forty years, if the trees are in the plantation for sixty to eighty. In favorable conditions, it lives up to 500 years, with growth 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 the treatment of 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. 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. Various types of furniture are produced from it 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 the 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 you take food industry, then beech chips are widely used for smoking sausages; in medicine and cosmetology, beech buds are used for anti-aging creams.
Beech is considered a unique ornamental plant due to its shape and color; it looks delightful 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 vigilant protection well-known organization UNESCO. Places where European beech is grown artificially are also supervised and carefully protected.
European beech (forest) is a powerful deciduous tree with slender branches. The rays of the sun do not penetrate through its crown, so in its shade you can escape the summer heat. Beech can be cut and shaped, so it is used to create complex living walls and hedges.
Landscape designers use this beautiful tree from the beech family to design parks, gardens and public gardens. Its wood is processed for paper production, and the beneficial substances contained in the bark and leaves are used in cosmetology and medicine.
Spreading
European beech is predominantly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. The species range covers almost the entire Western and partly Eastern Europe. In addition to this, another representative of the Beech family grows on this territory - the eastern beech. Majestic trees form magnificent parks in which peaceful darkness and silence reign.
Beech, a photo of which we posted in this article, grows in Russia, Belarus, Western Ukraine. The tree is undemanding to soil composition and grows on almost any soil, although it develops better on loamy substrates. Moisture- and heat-loving, in harsh climatic conditions freezes slightly.
Beech tree: description
A tree up to fifty meters high is rightfully considered a long-liver. Beech lives to a very old age - 500 years. Quite rarely grows alone, often forms forests or groups in mixed forests. The heat-loving and shade-tolerant deciduous tree has a powerful crown, which is rounded at the top.
The trunk is columnar, on average the diameter of mature trees is about one and a half meters, and centuries-old specimens have trunks with a diameter of about three meters. The crown is broadly cylindrical or ovoid, raised high above the ground.
Branches
Prostrate, thin. The maximum officially recorded crown area was 315 square meters! Young shoots are colored light brown with whitish lentils. The bark on young trees is gray-brown, on adults it is rich gray, thin and smooth.
Fruiting
Between the ages of twenty and forty years, European beech begins to bear fruit. In plantations this period shifts to 60 years. The tree grows for up to 350 years.
Roots
The root system is shallow but powerful. There is no pronounced taproot. In a forest, the roots of neighboring trees are often intertwined and often grow together. In older representatives of the species they grow, which is why they are called “root claws”. The growth from the stump is renewed at the age of about sixty years.
Leaves
Shiny, elliptical in shape, wavy at the edges, reaching 10 cm in length. The tree is very beautiful not only in summer, but also in autumn, when the foliage turns copper-yellow. European beech is one that blooms in April-May. At the same time, leaf buds bloom.
Fruit
These are triangular nuts about one and a half centimeters long, the shell of which is covered with soft short needles on the outside. The main part of the nuts, as well as the young shoots of trees, are eaten forest creatures- animals and birds. Throughout the beech growing area, local residents use fried kernels for food. Oil is squeezed out of them, and the cake is brewed as a drink, somewhat reminiscent of coffee in taste. Nuts ground into flour are used for baking. Interestingly, according to folk sign, the larger the harvest of nuts on the beech, the harsher the winter ahead.
Beech wood
This is a very easy material to grind and process. Solid and dense wood is in demand in many industries. The highest quality veneer is made from it. In its properties, beech wood is superior to oak, therefore it is a sought-after raw material, valued for its strength, durability and aesthetic appearance.
It dries quite quickly without leaving cracks. Dry is easy to process and acquires a perfectly smooth surface. It is used for interior and exterior decoration, production of musical instruments, parquet, plywood, stairs. In the forest chemical industry, European beech wood is used to produce methyl alcohol, furfural, and acetone. In addition, xylitol, a sweetener, creosote and tar, are obtained from wood.
The healing properties of beech
Tar, obtained from wood, contains almost 5% creosote - a valuable substance that has an unpleasant odor and taste. Preparations based on it have an anthelmintic, antimicrobial, disinfectant and cauterizing effect. They are successfully used in dentistry, as well as in the treatment of putrefactive and purulent processes in the lungs. This powerful antiseptic is effective in treating many skin diseases.
Use in folk medicine
For herbalists and traditional healers, the bark and leaves of European beech are valuable. They are used in the treatment of:
- diabetes;
- skin and hair diseases;
- respiratory system.
Tea is the most common form of consumption of beech leaves as a medicine. This drink has a whole range of beneficial properties. The tea should be brewed as follows: pour 250 ml of boiling water over a teaspoon (teaspoon) of crushed dry beech leaves and let it brew for thirty minutes. When taken orally, prescribe 200 ml of the drink three times a day before meals.
Leaf tea has several possible ways applications.
External
As compresses and lotions on wounds and ulcers. One of the main properties of beech-based preparations is healing and antiseptic.
Internal
As an additional remedy in complex therapy for the treatment of diabetes and stomach pain, tea improves appetite and has a calming effect on the nervous system.
Use of beech in other areas
- This tree is used in landscape design parks and gardens. Today, many interesting varieties of European beech have appeared, which differ from the wild form in leaf size, color, bark structure and crown shape. With timely and skillful trimming, designers create magnificent hedges.
- We talked about the fact that beech wood is widely used in many industries; it is also in demand in furniture production. I would like to add that beautiful furniture made from this wood is not suitable for outdoor use.
- When beech ash is mixed with sand, green glass is obtained. This is probably why bottles made from this type of glass are sometimes called “forest glass”. Unfortunately, due to the widespread use of ash potash, beech forests and groves were destroyed in many regions.
- European beech bud extract has found application in cosmetology, and all thanks to it unique ability saturate the skin with oxygen, rejuvenating it.
Contraindications
The consumption of raw beech nuts, which contain trimethylamine, a poisonous alkaloid, is contraindicated. It is destroyed under the influence high temperatures, so the kernels need to be fried.
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