Content
- The different types of beech
- There are more than 240 beech species worldwide
- Mourning Book and Süntel-Buchen
- A small selection of beech varieties
- Hornbeams are not beeches
- The big beech forests are almost gone
- Tips
The hanging beech is a fascinating species of beech
The different types of beech
Beech is the most common deciduous tree in Germany. Although there are numerous types of beech, this country almost exclusively cultivates the beech in a larger style. All other types of beech have been introduced and are not found in nature in Germany. Worth knowing about the different types of beech.
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There are more than 240 different types of beech worldwide. In Germany, however, only common European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and its variety blood beech (Fagus sylvatica f. Purpurea) play a role. Occasionally, the beech comes before. It shows through a very scarred, cracked bark.
Mourning Book and Süntel-Buchen
Two varieties of common European beech are particularly decorative: the mourning beech (Fagus sylvatica pendula) and the Süntel beech (Fagus sylvatica var. Suentelensis bell).
At the funeral or hanging prayer, the trunk goes up like a fountain, while the branches incline downwards. It can be quite high, but the crown remains rather small. Funeral books are very popular in parks and, because of their name, also in cemeteries.
The Süntel beech, also called Krause beech or cripple beech, occurs in southern Lower Saxony. She impresses with her very crippled-looking growth. The trunk is twisted and the branches grow together. Süntel-Buchen are not very high but very expansive. They offer an impressive view, but are rather unsuitable for the garden.
A small selection of beech varieties
Many of these types of beech are available from specialist retailers. They differ mostly by the leaf size and leaf color, occasionally by the color of the bark and the crown structure. For laymen, the differences are often barely recognizable.
If you want to grow a special beech in the garden, you should take a walk in a specialized nursery and seek advice.
There are arboretums in various parts of Germany, in which the most diverse types of beech are pulled. There, interested people get a lot of information and learn what the different species and varieties differ.
Hornbeams are not beeches
Hornbeams do not count as beeches despite their name. These are birch trees, which, however, are confusingly similar to beech trees. The differences are shown by the tree size and the texture of the leaves.
The big beech forests are almost gone
In the past, there were very large forests of beech trees in Germany. The beech was used in a variety of ways, from cattle feed through timber construction to consumption in times of need.
From Buchen the so-called forest glass was produced, which is obtained from beech ash and sand. For this huge amounts of beechwood were needed, so that the old beech forests were cut down and replaced by inferior types of wood.
Tips
The beech is also referred to as the "mother of the forest" because of its frequency. The suffix "sylvatica" has the meaning "from the forest".