American Beech
Scientific name:
Fagus grandifolia
Other names:
Beech
Carolina beech
Gray beech
Red beech
Ridge beech
Stone beech
White beech
Winter beech
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American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is the only species of this genus in North America. Although beech is now confined to the eastern United States (except for the Mexican population) it once extended as far west as California and probably flourished over most of North America before the glacial period (39). This slow-growing, common, deciduous tree reaches its greatest size in the alluvial soils of the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys and may attain ages of 300 to 400 years.
Weight:
Specific Gravity: 0.64 (12% M.C.)
Average Weight: 721 kg/m3 (12% M.C.)
Average Volumetric Shrinkage: 13.0% (Green to 6% M.C.)
Use:
Furniture, doors, flooring, millwork, paneling, brush handles, woodenware, bending stock, toys and turnings. It is particularly suitable for food and liquid containers since there is no odor or taste.
General characteristic:
The sapwood of American beech is white with a red tinge, while the heartwood is light to dark reddish brown. American beech tends to be slightly darker and less consistent than European beech. The wood is generally straight grained with a close uniform texture.
Working properties:
American beech works readily with most hand and machine tools. It has good nailing and gluing properties and can be stained and polished to a good finish.
Drying and shrinkage:
The wood dries fairly rapidly but with a strong tendency to warp, split and surface check. It is subject to a high shrinkage and moderate movement in performance.
Durability:
Rated as non-resistant to heartwood decay, and liable to attack by common furniture beetle and longhorn beetle, but permeable for preservation. Sapwood and heartwood are permeable when pressure-treated with a compound like creosote. The red heartwood is extremely resistant to penetration.
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