Wood Information
Pens #50 and #60
Beech; Fagus grandifolia;  Family: Fagaceae
Common Names: Beech, Carolina beech, gray beech, red beech, ridge beech, stone beech, white
beech, winter beech, American Beech.
Distribution: American beech grows in southeast Canada and in the eastern half of the United States,
from Maine to northern Florida, and west from the Atlantic Coast to Wisconsin, Missouri and Texas.
The Tree: The American beech tree grows in large pure stands and intermixed with sugar maple, yellow
birch, American basswood, black cherry, eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, red spruce, sweetgum,
Southern magnolia, ashes, hickories and oaks. It grows best in deep, rich, moist, well-drained soils.
American beech trees reach heights of 120 ft (37 m), with a diameter of almost 4 ft (1.2 m). The bark is
thin, smooth, and gray to blue gray.
The Wood: The sapwood of American beech is white with a red tinge, while the heartwood is light to
dark reddish brown.
Uses: Lumber, veneer, charcoal, railroad ties, pulpwood, cooperage, boxes, crates, baskets, pallets,
furniture, flooring, sash, doors, trim, paneling, general millwork, woodenware, novelties, handles,
brooms and brushes, food containers, turnery, and chemical extracts such as methanol, acetate and
wood tar .
Harding Pens and Woodturnings