A beech, but not for sunbathing
Beech is a large, noble tree with a dense crown consisting of branches growing horizontally in several layers. The bark of the beech tree is a characteristic silver-grey colour. The leaves are mostly a fresh, shiny green — and you can even eat them! The leaves grow horizontally so that they can absorb the maximum amount of sunlight available. The dense growth of beech lets almost no light through; this makes old beech forests so dark that you could barely read a book there, even in the middle of the day. This also affects the vegetation beneath the trees, making it difficult for bushes and other trees to survive. Beech soil is also affected, as it dries out and becomes peaty and poor.
Beech is known as a monoecious plant and has both male and female flowers on the same tree. Beechnuts are three-angled nuts that are spread in autumn by squirrels and small birds, just before the leaves start to fall.
Heavy wood sinks in water
Beech is known as a high-grade wood and is often planted in parks and gardens on account of its beauty.
Historically, beech wood has been used for fuel, furniture and implements exposed to water, such as mill wheels and the keels of boats, because it’s heavy and it normally sinks in water.