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
Carex sylvatica York and North Carolina, and to New Zealand, where it was first recorded in 1969. In its native range, "C. sylvatica" lives in deciduous woodlands on heavy soils; it is sometimes found in unwooded areas, but usually only as a relic of ancient woodland. In North America, it is generally found in disturbed areas within deciduous woodland. "Carex sylvatica" was first described by the English botanist William Hudson in his 1762 work "Flora Anglica". Hybrids have been reported between "C. sylvatica" and "C. strigosa" (in France) and between "C. sylvatica" and "C. hirta" (in Austria). Its English common name is