Fagus sylvatica the oriental beech ("Fagus orientalis"), which replaces it further east. In the Balkans, it shows some hybridisation with oriental beech; these hybrid trees are named "Fagus" × "taurica". In the southern part of its range around the Mediterranean, it grows only in mountain forests, at altitude. Although often regarded as native in southern England, recent evidence suggests that "F. sylvatica" did not arrive in England until about 4000 BC, or 2,000 years "after" the English Channel formed after the ice ages; it could have been an early introduction by Stone age humans, who used the nuts for food. The beech
Fagus sylvatica in the buds. In autumn, the tree builds the reserves that will sustain it into spring. Given good conditions, a bud can produce a shoot with up to ten or more leaves. The terminal bud emits a hormonal substance in the spring that halts the development of additional buds. This tendency, though very strong at the beginning of their existence, becomes weaker in older trees. It is only after the budding that root growth of the year begins. The first roots to appear are very thin (with a diameter of less than 0.5 mm). Later, after a wave of above