Fagus orientalis the buds include flower buds. The flowers are small catkins which appear shortly after the leaves in spring. The seeds are small triangular nuts long and wide at the base; there are two nuts in each cupule, maturing in the autumn 5–6 months after pollination. The cupule differs from that of European Beech in having flattened, slightly leaf-like appendages at the base (slender, soft spines in European Beech). "Fagus orientalis" is closely related to the "Fagus sylvatica" (European Beech), and intergrades with it in the Balkans and northwestern Turkey. These hybrids with European Beech are named "Fagus × taurica". The
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