American Beech

Although beeches are common, slow growing trees that normally top out at 60 to 80 feet, they can rise much higher. In Gunpowder Falls State Park in Kingsville, look for a 124’ specimen, the largest publicly accessible beech in Baltimore County: Airtable – Tree Listings on Website.

Sometimes you will see neat rows of holes in the tree’s smooth gray bark that look like they were drilled. That’s the work of a bird, the yellow-bellied sapsucker, mining for sap and bugs to eat. People, unfortunately, also leave their mark on beeches: carved initials, names and sketches of hearts that likely will outlast their romances. Cutting into bark creates pathways for pests.

Beech wood is used in making flooring and furniture, and makes good firewood. Beechnuts provide food for many animals. 

Other information: American beech | The Morton Arboretum