Beech been widespread in Europe since the 17th century. Beech has been listed as one of the 38 plants whose flowers are used to prepare Bach flower remedies. The beech most commonly grown as an ornamental tree is the European beech ("Fagus sylvatica"), widely cultivated in North America and its native Europe. Many varieties are in cultivation, notably the weeping beech "F. sylvatica" 'Pendula', several varieties of copper or purple beech, the fern-leaved beech "F. sylvatica" 'Asplenifolia', and the tricolour beech "F. sylvatica" 'roseomarginata'. The strikingly columnar Dawyck beech ("F. sylvatica" 'Dawyck') occurs in green, gold, and purple forms, named after
Fagus sylvatica depends on the location: in forest areas, "F. sylvatica" grows to over , with branches being high up on the trunk. In open locations, it will become much shorter (typically ) and more massive. The leaves are alternate, simple, and entire or with a slightly crenate margin, 5–10 cm long and 3–7 cm broad, with 6–7 veins on each side of the leaf (7–10 veins in "Fagus orientalis"). When crenate, there is one point at each vein tip, never any points between the veins. The buds are long and slender, long and thick, but thicker (to ) where the buds