The beech trees, as the name suggests, are forests that are mainly made up of beech trees. The beeches (scientific name Fagus Sylvatica), are deciduous trees and belong to the Fagaceae family.
There are many beech forests in Spain, each with its own characteristics. Do you want to know more about beech forests?
Characteristics of the beech forest
Beeches are usually about 35-40m tall and have a straight, unbranched trunk. The crown of the tree is oval and they usually have a cylindrical shape if they grow in a forest surrounded by other beech trees and a more conical, open and irregular shape if they grow isolated.
One of the characteristics of the beech it is that it does not change or change its bark. It remains practically smooth throughout its life, with an ashy gray or whitish color. The leaves are simple, tender and bright green when young, and as they mature they become darker. It is a monoecious plant and grows the male flowers grouped in globose inflorescences at the end of a long pendulous peduncle. The female ones appear in groups of one to three, rarely four, on a short and erect peduncle, initially yellowish and later grayish-brown.
Regarding the beech fruit they usually contain two elongated seeds that are edible and have a flavor similar to sunflower seeds. The seeds are enclosed in a covered dome that, when ripe, opens into 4 valves, releasing the beechnuts. These seeds are very rich in starch, aleurones and oily substances.
The beech trees in Spain
In Spain the area of distribution of beech trees It is mainly in the Cantabrian Mountains and the Pyrenees. There are also some beech forests, such as the natural park of the Ports of Tortosa-Beceite (Tarragona) which is the southernmost in Spain and in some forests of the Central System.
