Beech is a well-known timber tree famed for use in furniture but is struggling to find favour for wider use. The potential vulnerability of beech to drought may limit future use in parts of southern and eastern Britain. Further research is required to evaluate its full climatic limitations.
Beech is a native tree and categorised as a principal tree species. These are species where silvicultural knowledge provides confidence to enable successful deployment across Britain. The species are either already widely used or are increasing in usage. They will continue to be important unless affected by a new pest or disease or become adversely affected by climate change.
Native to southern Britain but naturalised elsewhere. Widely distributed across Europe from Scandinavia to Russia. Material from British seed stands is preferable. If Fagus sylvatica is autochthonous anywhere in the whole south-west then it is only in the Bristol-Gloucestershire (vc34, vc33) area. In all other south-west vice-counties it is an archaeophyte. It has been a major forestry constituent species for a very long time in this part of the country.
A shade tolerant species that withstands wind exposure and is cold hardy, but early flushing means it is susceptible to frost damage when young. It can grow on mineral soils of poor to medium nutrient status including calcareous ones, but does not tolerate compacted, waterlogged or very dry soils. Despite its reputation for suitability on chalk and limestone downland, on calcareous soils beech can suffer lime-induced chlorosis. Beech is shallow rooted, can be toppled by Cornish winds, and trees can suffer dieback or death in drought years.
For best results grow on deep well drained soils of pH between 6 and 7.5 with a moisture regime >700 mm/year rainfall that is well distributed.
For both new planting and restocking, aim for >2500 stems per hectare, as young plants are often of poor form and higher densities will allow for a greater degree of selection during thinning. In addition to normal establishment operations, on more chalky sites cleaning young stands is essential as, for example, vigorous climbers like clematis can quickly overwhelm trees.
Early thinning should favour stems of good form with the removal of forked trees a priority even overriding the need for even spacing. Beech demonstrates good natural pruning, but to produce quality logs high pruning is recommended.
Shade tolerance makes this species suited to continuous cover forestry (CCF). Beech is "plastic" in its response to thinning, and even slow grown understory trees, which can persist for decades, quickly return to normal growth once exposed to overhead light.
Beech can achieve a yield class of six or more depending on site conditions. Productivity (MAI) culminates later than other principal broadleaved species.
Beech can grow in mixture with a wide range of other tree species; often used in understory planting with oak to prevent epicormic growth.
At Trebrown Nurseries we maintain our own registered seed stands on Trebrown Farm, which remain the only seed stands registered in Cornwall. Fagus sylvatica is a FRM controlled species.
