Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla 'Laciniata'
Cut-Leaf European Beech

 Plant Type:
 Growth Forms:
 Hardiness:
 Deciduous / Evergreen:
 Flower Notes:
Green (Yellowish-green monoecious catkins; not ornamentally important)
 Foliage Notes:
Green (Handsome deeply-cut foliage; emerges late in spring); Bronze (Golden-bronze fall foliage that persists into winter)
 Fruit Notes:
Brown (Three winged nut is edible)
 Ultimate Height:
50-65 feet
 Ultimate Spread:
50-60 feet
 Soil Notes:
Prefers acidic soil, some soil moisture and good drainage to perform best; does not tolerate wet and clay soils
 Diagnostic Characteristics:
Leaves simple, alternate, 2-4" long with 7-9 deep serrations on each side; lustrous dark green above and light green beneath, glabrous at maturity, silky when young. Petioles can be downy. Buds are long. Slender, pointed with many scales. Fruit is 3-sided nut in prickly husks that ripen in October. Smooth, gray bark that appears wrinkled in some areas, resembling an elephant's hide.

Additional Information

In a proper site, an excellent trouble-free shade tree with year-round interest. More adaptable to hot, dry conditions than our native F. grandifolia, but somewhat less hardy. F. grandifolia is preferred in Zone 4. Low branching habit is a concern for use in the tree lawn as a street tree (may require more pruning than other street trees). The cultivar 'Laciniata' has graceful, deeply-cut leaves.

Other plants like this Fagus sylvatica var. heterophylla 'Laciniata' (Cut-Leaf European Beech)

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