American Beech

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

I remember always finding the fruit of these trees around my house as a kid and thinking that it was definitely some sort of egg sac of a big weird insect. Now I know that the nut-containing burs that the American Beech tree drops are actually a sought-after food source for many types of wildlife. These guys grow the best on rich upland soil and can be found in pure stands where shoots will spring up from the trees’ roots.