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
Luzula sylvatica Luzula sylvatica Luzula sylvatica, commonly known as greater wood-rush or great wood-rush, is a perennial flowering plant in the rush family Juncaceae. With regards to the etymology of the binomial, "Luzula" could come from the Italian "lucciola" ("to shine, sparkle") or the Latin "luzulae" or "luxulae", from "lux" ("light"), inspired by the way the plants sparkle when wet with dew; whilst "sylvatica" comes from silva, Latin for forest. "Luzula sylvatica" is the largest woodrush, with stems high. It forms clumps of bright green leaves which are glossy, flat, linear, about in length and wide; its leaves remain green or at