Side by side
Beech or Persian ironwood? How to tell them apart
Fagus sylvatica · Parrotia persica
How to tell them apart – beech: leaf with an untoothed, wavy edge and a smooth, silver-grey trunk; Persian ironwood: broadly spreading tree with wavy-toothed leaves that turn yellow, orange and red in autumn, and flaking bark.
How do you recognise them?
- Beech
- Smooth, silver-grey trunk, oval leaf with an untoothed wavy edge, and long, pointed, cigar-shaped buds.
- Compared with Persian ironwood: leaf with an untoothed, wavy edge and a smooth, silver-grey trunk.
- Persian ironwood
- Broadly spreading tree with wavy-toothed leaves that turn yellow, orange and red in autumn, and flaking bark.
| Beech | Persian ironwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, with an untoothed, wavy edge; young leaves have silky hairs along the margin. 5–9 pairs of parallel veins. | Alternate, 6–12 cm, obovate, untoothed in the lower half and wavy, coarsely toothed in the upper half; glossy. Autumn colours of yellow, orange, red and purple all mixed together. |
| Flowering | April–May | Small flowers without petals, with conspicuous red stamens, in February–March on the bare branches (February–March). |
| Fruit | Three-sided beechnuts in a bristly husk that splits open into four valves. | Small, hairy, woody capsules. |
| Bark | Smooth and silver-grey, even on very old trees. Buds long, pointed and brown, standing away from the twig. | Flakes off in patches, leaving a mosaic of grey, green, pink and brown. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 25–40 m | Broadleaf tree, 6–12 m, often broad and multi-stemmed |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for butterflies and birds | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | June–September and November–February | March–April |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Beech is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
- Beech grows 25–40 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Beech
- Plant profile: Persian ironwood
- Beech: when and how to prune
- Persian ironwood: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.