American Beech

[Giga]

I love native species recently more and more and part of my Yamadori hunt this year I stumbled upon this guy. I dug him up and pruned back to the furthest bud I could on each branch. It has a unique branch structure and I'm dwelling on highlighting that then making a typical branch structure but am not sure at the moment. I've been watering and fertilizing well and it's doing well thus far, and back budded more then I though it would-at least from everything I read on the species. It's my first beech and I must say it a great species on a whole. I thought I had taken a few more pics but here ya go anyway





I look forward to making this into something amazing

 

[Bunjeh]

I am with you. I started on the Shimpaku train but more and more I am collecting species native to the PAC NW. Hardier, easier to grow, and abundant.

 

[Bunjeh]

BTW: This will be great in a couple of years. Is that a son of a beech next to it?

 

[Giga]

I am with you. I started on the Shimpaku train but more and more I am collecting species native to the PAC NW. Hardier, easier to grow, and abundant.

Yeah, I have shimpaku and black pine n such, but more and more native species is catching my eye!

 

[Giga]

BTW: This will be great in a couple of years. Is that a son of a beech next to it?

actually that's another native-a large Bradford pear
http://www.bonsainut.com/index.php?threads/ive-got-a-pear.18371/

 

[M. Frary]

The Shimpaku junipers I have enjoyed last winter so the hardiness shouldn't be an issue.
I walk by hundreds of these things to get to the species I do collect. Have considered collecting one too. But I also have read about them being a tough tree to turn to bonsai.
Do the leaves reduce signifigantly. Will the internodes shorten up? Will the petioles get shorter. Can I push it to grow faster or will it puke out on me?
I will be watching to see if any or all of these things can be accomplished.
If not I'll just keep walking.

 

[JudyB]

While they are not easy trees in any sense, they can be wonderful trees. The leaves will reduce a certain amount, but a larger tree is called for as they won't ever be as small as some species. There are some things you can't do to these in fast order because of the growth habits. This one looks young and vigorous, so you will be able to push it harder than an older tree. One thing I have learned for sure, is to not fertilize until the first flush leaves are completely hardened off, they are very sensitive to fertilizer. Also when the new leaves come out, they must be protected well from winds. I do not have any American Beech, but have known someone who has them, and care is much the same as EU, which is what I have.

 

[M. Frary]

Was kind of hoping you had one Judy. You got the beech thing going on.

 

[JudyB]

I've seen a couple worth digging, but couldn't get permission.. Someday, it's on the list!

 

[M. Frary]

I've seen a couple worth digging, but couldn't get permission.. Someday, it's on the list!

I'll have to put them on the list. How well do they take to being collected? Hopefully better than hornbeams.

 

[JudyB]

Most of them are offshoots of a larger tree in the area, as in root connected. If you can do it over a period of two years you'd probably have more success. Then you could cut the connected roots, let it grow more "own" roots, and then go get it the next year. But if you get a small enough one, probably wouldn't be a problem just yanking it, at the right time of course. Doesn't look like Giga had any trouble...

 

[rockm]

I lost my collected American Beech from the profound cold this past winter. It's buds swelled in March then it just....stopped. Not enough gas. I'd had it more than 15 years. Dug it out of the wood behind my house.

They are NOT easy trees as bonsai. Expect a learning curve. Don't take advice from anyone who hasn't had actual experience with THIS SPECIES (fagus Grandiflora). Doing so can kill your tree. For instance, they have only a SINGLE growth spurt in the spring. Once new shoots elongate in June, that's all the new growth the tree will put on that year, unlike other species like elm and hornbeam--or European or Japanese beech-- that push new shoots repeatedly throughout the early spring through summer. That means ramifying an American Beech can literally take a decade to accumulate moderate twigging. Removing the terminal buds on all branches in the late winter can force some backbudding, though. It's spotty however.

Additionally, leaves will not reduce all that much. Leaf pruning, done at the wrong time, can be fatal--see ONE growth spurt above. They sunburn easily here in the mid Atlantic in shallow containers. Leaves are burned to a crisp in moderate sun by the end of July.

On the plus side, they are vigorous trees and can take VERY shallow pots. I had mine (Which had a three inch diameter trunk) in a pot an inch deep for years--which may have contributed to the leaf scorch.

 

[Cypress187]

When did you dig it? I would like the also get some more tree's but i thought is was too late. The leafs look like an hornbeam.

 

[M. Frary]

It is too late to collect trees this year unless you have a climate that will let you collect in the fall. Here winter comes on so fast that I don't even attempt digging trees in the fall. I would worry about fresh cut roots freezing and blowing up.

 

[rockm]

Um, the collector is in

When did you dig it? I would like the also get some more tree's but i thought is was too late. The leafs look like an hornbeam.

You're in Europe working with completely different species. Even so, a rule of thumb for deciduous collection--if the leaves are out, it's too late. There are some ways around that, but it's a safe way to do things.

 

[pweifan]

I collected 5 of these from my parents' property in late March. I've got them planted in grow boxes and they seem very happy and healthy. They're quite pretty, but I'm thinking it may have been a mistake collecting them since I'm still getting my feet wet and they are difficult to train. I was really hoping this thread would have been been full of information like "oh they're much easier to train than you think". Oh well!

 

[Giga]

I'll have to put them on the list. How well do they take to being collected? Hopefully better than hornbeams.

I had no issue collecting this one- same as any other tree- just I left buds tips on all branches I wanted to keep. I got back budding after the first leaves flushed out- so in turn I think if collecting you need to at least leave a fair about of buds, even if the branch is longer then you want. You can cut back the following years

When did you dig it? I would like the also get some more tree's but i thought is was too late. The leafs look like an hornbeam.

I collected this later then other deciduous but before it leafed out. Beech leaf out much later then most trees but you still need to collect before and leafing out happens.

I collected 5 of these from my parents' property in late March. I've got them planted in grow boxes and they seem very happy and healthy. They're quite pretty, but I'm thinking it may have been a mistake collecting them since I'm still getting my feet wet and they are difficult to train. I was really hoping this thread would have been been full of information like "oh they're much easier to train than you think". Oh well!

I'll c what I can do!

 

[M. Frary]

just I left buds tips on all branches I wanted to keep.

I usually only collect bare stumps. So no branches. A 2 inch diameter tree should only be 4 inches or so at the first branch. And from what I'm hearing about leaf reduction I would need to collect at least a 6 inch diameter stump for the leaves to look right. No branches on a 6 inch diameter beech 12 inches off the ground.
I'm out.

 

[jeremy_norbury]

When did you dig it? I would like the also get some more tree's but i thought is was too late. The leafs look like an hornbeam.

It IS too late. Having said that, I've collected Larch out of season (August) in the Netherlands and had seedlings survive just fine.

Hornbeam leaves are serrated - this beech's leaves are simply wavy...

 

[Giga]

This tree has decided to give me a second flush of growth, despite me doing nothing but watering well and good fertilizers. Also so many buds for future development. I will be collecting a few more of these this next spring. I really love beech.