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Beech

Fagus sylvatica

Beech is a vegetable in the Fagaceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 4-7.

Varieties

1 · sorted by days to maturity
  • Beech

    PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Shade tree (seed) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Stately dense shade; smooth gray bark; good for hedging.

    Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a majestic, dense shade tree with smooth gray bark; it holds coppery leaves through winter when young and also makes a classic clipped hedge.

    Growing notes: Botanical name: Fagus sylvatica|Hardiness zones: 4-7|Propagation: seed or grafting|Light: Full sun to part shade|Water: Medium|Mature size: 50-70 feet

Family
Fagaceae
Category
Vegetable
Form
Shrub
Lifecycle
perennial
Zone
4-7
Height
50–70 ft
Spread
35–60 ft
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Water
Medium

Plan your beech planting

Add beech to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

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At a glance

Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~-30°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Storing & preserving

Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.

  • Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
  • Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.

General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Growing timeline

Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for beech yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.