Fagus sylvatica include flower buds. The leaves of beech are often not abscissed in the autumn and instead remain on the tree until the spring. This process is called marcescence. This particularly occurs when trees are saplings or when plants are clipped as a hedge (making beech hedges attractive screens, even in winter), but it also often continues to occur on the lower branches when the tree is mature. Small quantities of seeds may be produced around 10 years of age, but not a heavy crop until the tree is at least 30 years old. "F. sylvatica" male flowers are borne in
Stigmella hemargyrella Stigmella hemargyrella Stigmella hemargyrella is a moth of the Nepticulidae family. It is found in most of Europe, except Iceland, Norway, Finland, Portugal and most of the Baltic region. The moths (imago) are bivoltine flying from April to May and again from July to August and can be found resting on trunks. The wingspan is 5–6 mm. The egg can be laid on either side of the leaf and the pale yellowish-white larva feed, within a mine on "Fagus sylvatica" and "Fagus sylvatica orientalis". The mine is a sinuous gallery and at the early state is relatively narrow with a