#22 - American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

The distinctive smooth gray bark of the native beech makes it easy to identify in the landscape. If given room to spread, it becomes a massive specimen, up to 70 feet tall and almost as wide. In fall, the leaves turn light brown and often remain to rattle in the winter winds. The tree produces a preponderance of beechnuts, or small burred fruit, that are a major food source for many wildlife species.