The European Beech is a large, graceful, deciduous tree with a short trunk and low branching habit. It grows 50 to 60 feet tall and has dense, erect, oval to rounded crowns. It is often found in parks and golf courses. The European beech is smaller than the American Beech, and it has darker gray bark, and shorter, elliptical leaves with undulated or wavy margins that are ciliate. Yellowish-green and reddish-brown flowers bloom from April to May. The female flowers are short spikes, and the male flowers are long-stemmed, drooping clusters. The female flower produces triangular nuts that ripen in the fall and are edible. The European beech prefers full sun to partial shade and moist well-drained soils.