Beech Wood

American Beech is a light cream-colored wood with small brown flecks that run along the grain. It often has a subtle, almost imperceptible, pink tinge. It wears well and is commonly used for flooring, furniture, veneer, and containers (often bowls or drinking vessels). Beech wood is an especially favored fuel wood because of its high density and good burning qualities.

The beech tree has a rich history surrounding it. The ancient Celts believed a deity known as Fagus lived within the Beech. Similarly, the Yakut (Siberian) goddess Itchita is also believed to have lived within the Beech. Carrying a beech leaf is said to boost creativity and enhance writing skills.

In ancient times, thin slices of beech were used to write upon. These slices, or tablets, were so common a writing material, that the Anglo-Saxons used the word bōc to mean both beech tree and book. Today, the German word Buche and the Swedish word Bok means both beech tree and book.

Beech leaves were used by some Native American tribes to treat burned skin, frostbite, rashes and poison ivy. The beech’s distinctive triangular shaped nuts are edible to humans and are an important food for wildlife.

The Beech wood that we have in stock comes from the American Beech (Fagus grandifolia). It is native to Eastern North America, and is easily identified by its smooth, silver-gray bark. It grows between 66 and 115 feet tall, and has a trunk diameter between 3 and 5 feet.