'Asplenifolia' is a cultivar of Fagus sylvantica , the European Beech, and is distinguished by its fern-like leaves, which also give the tree its common name, Fern Leaved Beech. The Fern Leaved Beech is a deciduous tree with leaves cut into slender lobes. The leaves, themselves, are narrow, lanceolate, feathery, fine textured, and fern-like. Small yellow-green flowers bloom in spring, and produce fruit in the form of an edible, triangular nut inside a weak, spiny husk. The Fern Leaved Beech is a medium-size, graceful tree with a short trunk and low branching habit. It grows 40 to 60 feet tall and has a dense, erect, oval to rounded crown. The genus name comes from the Latin name and the species name means of the woods or forest. The cultivar name refers to the resemblance of the leaves to spleenwort fern. The Fern Leaved Beech prefers full sun to partial shade and moist well-drained soils. It does not do well in wet or poorly drained soils, locations with high summer temperatures, or in urban conditions. It is a little more tolerant of different soil types than the American beech. This tree is resistant to browsing by deer. It can be difficult to transplant, but recovers well from pruning and can be used as a hedge or screen. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Beech scale is an occasional problem. Watch for Japanese beetles. Stressed trees may be attacked by borers. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University More information on Fagus sylvatica .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in. | Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Oval; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Cut leaved cultivar with narrow, lanceolate, feathery, fine textured, fern-like, dark green leaves that are deeply dissected into slender lobes. Leaves turn golden brown in fall.
Fall color
Brown/Copper
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers are monoecious and bloom from April through May. The female flowers are reddish-brown clusters that appear on short stalks, while the male flowers are greenish-yellow, long-stemmed, drooping, and globular clusters. Only the female flowers produce fruits that are triangular nuts enclosed by spiny bracts. The tree may not flower until it is 30 to 80 years old.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Fruit opens into 4 sections and contains a triangular, or 3-angled, brown nut that measures 5/8 inches long. The fruits are known as beechnuts, and they ripen in the fall and are edible.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
The bark is thin, smooth, and dark gray. Older tree trunk bark has the appearance of elephant hide.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
The stems are slender with a zigzag form and are light brown to gray. The buds are light brown, narrow, long, pointed, and covered with overlapping scales.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
The beechnuts are eaten by birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and other small mammals.
The beechnuts are toxic if ingested raw in large quantities or they are unripe; however, if the nuts are cooked properly, they may be consumed.
Uses (ethnobotany)
The tree's wood has been used for centuries as firewood or for building furniture, musical instruments, veneer, and flooring.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Recreational Play Area; Woodland
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Edible Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Hedge; Shade Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#deciduous #heat intolerant #slow growing #interesting bark #specimen #rounded #lawn tree #urban conditions intolerant #wet soils intolerant #fall color #shade tree #alkaline soils tolerant #deer resistant #gray bark
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Japanese Beetle
Problems
Poisonous to Humans
Resistant to
Deer
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Seeds
Poison symptoms
If ingested raw in large quantities or if unripe, the beechnuts can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and nausea in humans and dogs. If the beechnuts are properly cooked they can be consumed.