Tall European native tree with smooth grey bark, copper-coloured autumn leaves that persist on young growth all winter, and pale, hard, even-grained timber that is the standard hardwood for furniture, flooring, and bentwood chairs.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 4–7 | −34.4 °C to −12.2 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H7 | down to −20 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 5–7 | −23 °C to −7 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 1–4 | −15 °C to 5 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Pale, hard, fine-even-grained timber — the principal European hardwood for furniture (especially bentwood and Thonet chairs), interior joinery, kitchen tools, and parquet flooring
- Excellent dense windbreak — the classic tall English hedge species, retaining copper-coloured dead leaves through winter on clipped young growth
- Casts deep shade — little will grow underneath an established beech in summer
- Slow growing but very long lived (200+ years) — plant for the long term
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check European beech against your zones