Location: Woodland Trail, Four Rounds
In Bloom: April and May

American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is a stately, noble tree, with a maximum height of 120 feet. Among the tree species that form the canopy surrounding Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller’s outdoor installation FOREST (for a thousand years…), 2012, the American beech stands out for its thin, smooth, light gray bark. It is one of only two species with smooth bark at maturity in Glenstone’s forest, the other being American holly. Dark green and glossy leaves turn a beautiful golden bronze in the fall and hold on most of the winter. Beechnuts, produced by the tree, are among the most important wildlife foods. The nuts are eaten by white-tailed deer, black bears, foxes, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, ducks, woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, American crows, and blue jays.

–Mike Burke, from the Glenstone Field Guide