Edible plant - Novice Season - All year Common names Beech, European beech, beech
Scientific name meaning: The genus name Fagus is a Latin name given to beech trees. Sylvatica comes from the Latin "sylvaticus", meaning "growing among trees or in a wood".
Habitat  Found in woodland, particularly in the south of England and Wales. Beech is also found in parks and gardens. It is a native of Britain and Europe. |
Overall structure  Beech can reach 40m and forms a dome-shaped crown when mature. |
Leaves  The glossy, green oval leaves have a wavy edge and covered in fine hairs when young. A small amount of hairs remain on the leaf edge and along the midrib of the leaf as it ages. They turn a deep-orange in autumn and can stay on the tree until early winter. Torpedo-shaped leaf buds are present most of the year. In the variant copper beech (f. purpurea), the leaves are a dark purple. |
Trunk  Its bark is smooth and grey-brown, and twisted snake-like roots are often visible at the soil surface. |
Flower  In spring, male (catkins) and female (cups) flowers develop. The male flowers become furry looking as the pollen matures and the female flowers resemble a cup. |
Fruit  Individual hard oval fruits appear in summer and are covered in hook-like prickles. When ripe, the fruit splits four ways revealing two to three seeds. |
Possible lookalikes  Hornbeam is often confused with beech, but its leaves have a serrated edge, no hairs on the edge and are not glossy. Other species of beech could also be confused, but these have the same uses. |
Use as a food The young leaves of common beech can be eaten raw or in salad, but must be collected before they become tough. They can also be used to make an alcoholic liqueur called Beech Leaf Noyau.
The nuts/seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. However, excessive consumption is thought to have a toxic effect.
Use in herbal medicine Common beech has been used to treat many conditions including skin disorders, chest infections, excess digestive acid, fevers, and toothache. It is also believed to have antiseptic qualities.
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner
Hazards Excessive consumption of the seeds of common beech is believed to have a toxic effect.
Other uses The wood of common beech is useful for wood turning and is used to make furniture and cooking equipment. It is not used for outdoor furniture due to its susceptibility to insects and fungi.
Creosote and tar can be extracted from the wood. The wood itself burns well and with good heat, so is a valuable fuel. The fallen autumn leaves of common beech have been used as mattress stuffing.
Importance to other species The dense canopy common beech forms means little light reaches the ground of a beech woodland. This reduces the species able to grow there, but creates opportunities for rarer plants, including orchids.
Beech leaves are a food source of various moth caterpillars, including the Barred Hook-Tip, Olive Crescent and Clay Triple-Line moths. Its seeds are eaten by mammals and birds.
Many fungi form mycorrhizal relationships with common beech, including truffles, chanterelle and penny buns. When it dies, it is home to saprobic fungi such as porcelain fungus.
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Importance to other species As it flowers all year round, chickweed is important for pollinators. It also provides food for small birds. And, of course, chickens love it - it's where the common name comes from!
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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