Latin Name - Fagus sylvatica
Height - 50-75 feet
Spread - 40-60 feet
Growth Rate - Slow
USDA Zone - 4 to 7
Drought Tolerance - Low
European beech is what one writer calls "the Queen of the Forest." Muscular bark and long, pointed buds accompany its clean foliage. This tree is the regular species; many variants of size, leaf and habit are commercially available (see other varieties on campus). European beech grows well in Utah given reasonable planting sites. It often holds on to some of its foliage during winter, the brown leaves rattling in the wind. This characteristic makes it a preferred candidate for hedges as seen in British and European gardens.