Etymology: Fagus: Latin "to eat" referring to esculent nuts
Plants: perennial, deciduous tree to 65' tall; smooth, gray bark
Leaves: oval to narrowly oval, base slightly or more pointed, underside with scattered hairs
Flowers: blooms in spring
Fruits: brown to reddish brown "bur" opening when ripe; nuts sharply angled and often hollow
Habitat: rich woods
Conservation Status: Native

Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 8, Wetland Indicator = FACU USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos University of Wisconsin - Green Bay: Trees: Photos, descriptions, information USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc. Virginia Tech Dept. of Forestry, College of Natural Resources: detailed description and photographs Dan Tenaglia's The Missouri Flora: Fabulous photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leave arrangement key. Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada" Landscape Plants of the Upper Midwest; UW-Extension: Interactive guide providing information on cultivation including: soil, zone, growth rate, landscape uses, pruning, light requirements; with photos and Latin name pronounciation