Beech types - an overview of the most important types

There are more than 240 species of beech worldwide

There are more than 240 different types of beech worldwide. In Germany, however, only the common beech (Fagus sylvatica) and its variety copper beech (Fagus sylvatica f. Purpurea) play a role. Occasionally the stone beech also occurs. It shows itself through a very pitted, cracked bark.

Weeping beeches and Süntel beeches

Two varieties of the common beech are particularly decorative: the common beech (Fagus sylvatica pendula) and the Süntel beech (Fagus sylvatica var. Suentelensis Schelle).

In the weeping beech or hanging beech, the trunk rises like a fountain, while the branches lean downwards. It can get quite high, but the crown remains rather small. Weeping beeches are very popular in parks and, because of their name, also in cemeteries.

The Süntel beech, also called Krause beech or Krüppelbuche, occurs in southern Lower Saxony. It impresses with its very stunted appearance. The trunk is twisted and the branches grow into one another. Süntel beeches are not very high but very expansive. They offer an impressive sight, but are rather unsuitable for the garden.

A small selection of beech types

Fagus crenata
Fagus grandifolia caroliniana
Ansorgei
Pendula
Francs
Marmorata
Mercedes
Purple Fountain
Rohan gold
Rohanii
Roseo marginata
Silver coins
Silverwood
Striata
Tricolor
Viridevariegata
Zlatia

Many of these types of beech are available in specialist shops. They usually differ in the leaf size and color, occasionally also in the color of the bark and the structure of the crown. The differences are often hard to see for laypeople.

If you want to grow a special beech in the garden, you should go to a specialized tree nursery and get advice.

There are arboretums in different parts of Germany in which all kinds of beech species are grown. There, interested parties can get a lot of information and learn how the individual species and varieties differ.

Hornbeams are not beeches

Despite their name, hornbeams do not count among the beeches. They are birch plants, but they look very similar to beeches. The differences are shown by the tree size and the nature of the leaves.

The large beech forests have almost disappeared

There used to be very large beech forests in Germany. The beech was used in a variety of ways, from fodder to wood construction and consumption in times of need.

So-called forest glass was made from beech and is extracted from beech ash and sand. This required huge amounts of beech wood, so that the old beech forests were cut down and replaced by inferior types of wood.