Fagus sylvatica, Common or European Beech

Common Name: Common or European Beech

The Common or European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is native to southern England and South Wales and throughout central and western Europe, and it has been introduced widely elsewhere in the UK. Charismatic stands of beech woodland can be found in the Cotswolds, the Chilterns and on the North and South Downs.

Beech is usually found on drier or free-draining soils. It grows best on chalk, limestone, light loams and sandy soils. Beech woodland casts deep shade and produces a dense leaf litter which often suppresses ground flora, and only specialist shade tolerant plants survive beneath the canopy.

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