Fagus grandifolia Ehrhart var. grandifolia . Subgenus: Fagus. Section: Grandifolia. Common name: Gray Beech, Red Beech, American Beech. Phenology: Apr-May; Sep-Oct. Habitat: Moderate to high elevation forests, especially on high elevation ridges, gaps, and open slopes, often forming clonal dwarfed thickets in the most exposed situations. Distribution: NS, NB, and s. QC west to s. ON and n. MI, south to VA, w. NC, n. GA, e. TN, and n. OH.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: "Red beech" is alleged to differ from "gray beech" in having the involucral segments not covering the nutlets at maturity. Hardin & Johnson (1985), Hardin (1985), and Shen (1992) pointed out that var. mexicana (Martínez) Little, of the mountains of México, is apparently more closely related to our montane variety or phase than to the lower elevation variety or phase.
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, F, G, S, Elias (1971a); = Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. ssp. grandifolia — Shen (1992); < Fagus americana Sweet — S13; < Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. — Can, FNA3, K4, Mi, Mo3, NE, NS, NY, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WV, Cooper & Mercer (1977); < Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. ssp. grandifolia — POWO, Govaerts & Frodin (1998). Basionym: Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. 1788
Links to other floras: < Fagus grandifolia - FNA3
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 3
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Milo Pyne, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Milo Pyne source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷ Warning: was NOT research grade.
no rights reserved, uploaded by John Kees source CC0 | Original Image ⭷ Warning: was NOT research grade.Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Fagus grandifolia var. grandifolia? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.
Horticultural Information
No horticultural data found for this taxon.