Beech

beech, (genus Fagus), genus of about 10 species of deciduous ornamental and timber trees in the family Fagaceae native to temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The pale red-brown wood is durable underwater and is valued for indoor use, tool handles, and shipping containers. The nuts provide forage for game animals, are used in fattening poultry, and yield an edible oil. For the related genus Nothofagus, see southern beech.