Fagus grandifolia
Common Name: American Beech
Family: Fagaceae

DECIDUOUS

Mark Twain House and Museum, Hartford, CT (all photos)

Plant is Native to: eastern North America, from Ontario to New Brunswick and south to Florida. Hardy to Zone 3.
Plant Height at maturity: 50 to 70 feet tall, with a maximum to 100 feet, and similar width;
Plant Habit and Form: deciduous tree; wide spreading crown with short sturdy trunk, branches often touch ground, but more upright habit if located in crowded conditions. Slow growth rate. Medium texture.
Foliage: Alternate leaf arrangement. Leaf is silvery green when opening, dark green on top and light green below in summer, and golden bronze in autumn. Leaves persist into winter.

Bark: Smooth, light bluish gray, almost silvery bark on young stems; darker, wrinkled, on mature trees.
Flower: Monoecious; male and female separate but on the same tree; in April to early May.
Fruit/Seed: Three winged nut, appears alone or in groups of 2 or 3. Encased in a spiky involucre, about 3/4" long. The spikes are recurved. Edible. Persist into winter. Good food for the birds.
Growing Requirements: Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil (pH 5.0 to 6.5) and full sun. Does not like excessively wet soils. Has a shallow, wide root system. Transplant during dormant season and prune in early summer or late fall.
Problems and Drawbacks: Tend to sucker from the roots. Grass or other plants tends not to grow under tree due to shallow root system. Does not do well in wet soil. Branches can touch ground. Fruit litter can be a problem. Few pest problems but can include powdery mildew, aphids, bleeding canker, beech bark disease, leaf spots, leaf mottle, brown wood borer, beech scale, two lined chestnut borer and caterpillars.
Special Uses: Beautiful native tree for specimen in large open spaces, parks, golf courses or lawns, or in naturalized areas. Long lived.
ID Tips/Remarks: Serrated leaf margins. Leaves arranged alternately. Bark is light gray, smooth but with wrinkles ("the tree that looks like an elephant's leg"). Dead leaves and fruit persist through winter. Tree is quite wide, and the branches often touch the ground.
Bibliography:
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/f/faggra/faggra1.html
Dirr, Michael A. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, 1998 Stipes Publishing, Champaigne, IL