Fagaceae
European beech
Fagus sylvatica
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Genus
- Fagus
Pets and kids
- CatsNot sure
- DogsNot sure
- KidsMildly toxic
Why
Cats: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Dogs: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Kids: Mildly toxic
Mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: oxalic acid, trimethylamine.
Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea.
- Fagus sylvatica (Common Beech, European Beech) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Is European beech safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Is European beech safe for cats?
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is European beech safe for dogs?
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is European beech safe for kids?
No. Our sources call European beech mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: oxalic acid, trimethylamine. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea.
- Fagus sylvatica (Common Beech, European Beech) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox University or extension
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.
Common names
By language (77)
- Arabic
- زان أوروبي, زان شائع
- Aragonese
- Fabo, Fau, Favo, Fayo
- Armenian
- Հաճարենի անտառային
- arz
- زان اوروبى
- Asturian
- Faya
- azb
- مئشه فیستیغی
- Azerbaijani
- Meşə fıstığı
- bar
- Buacha
- Basque
- Pago arrunt
- Belarusian
- Бук лясны, Бук еўрапейскі, Бук звычайны, Звычайны бук, Лясны бук
- Breton
- Faou, Faouenn, Gwez-faou
- Bulgarian
- Обикновен бук, Европейски бук
- Cantonese
- 歐洲山毛櫸, 歐洲水青岡
- Catalan
- Faig, Fageda, Fagedes, Faig europeu, Faig ploraner
- Chinese
- 欧洲山毛榉, 歐洲山毛櫸, 欧洲水青冈, 垂枝山毛榉, 垂枝山毛櫸
- Corsican
- Faiu
- Croatian
- Bukva, Obična bukva
- csb
- Bùk
- Czech
- Buk lesní, Buk obecný, Buk lesní dubolistý, Buk lesní převislý
- Danish
- Almindelig bøg, Blodbøg, Blod bøg, Bøg, Bøgetræ, Rødbøg
- dsb
- Cerwjeny buk
- Dutch
- Europese beuk, Beukeboom, Beukenboom, Rode beuk, Treurbeuk
- English
- European beech, Copper beech, Purple beech, Weeping beech
- Esperanto
- Eŭropa fago, Pendanta fago
- Estonian
- Harilik pöök
- Finnish
- Euroopanpyökki, Pyökki
- French
- Hêtre pourpre, Fayard, Foyard, Hetre europeen, Hêtre, Hêtre commun, Hêtre d'Europe, Hêtre européen
- frp
- Fo
- frr
- Ruadbööke
- Galician
- Faia
- German
- Rotbuche, Buche, Gewöhnliche Buche, Rot-Buche, Schlitzblättrige Rotbuche, Blutbuche, Hänge-Buche, Weißbunte Buche
- Greek
- Ευρωπαϊκή οξιά
- gsw
- Buche, Rotbuche, Bluetbuech
- Hebrew
- אשור אירופי
- hsb
- Lěsny buk, Čerwjeny buk
- Hungarian
- Európai bükk, Közönséges bükk
- Icelandic
- Skógarbeyki, Blóðbeyki
- Indonesian
- Bewuk Eropa
- Interlingua
- Fageto
- Italian
- Faggio
- Japanese
- ヨーロッパブナ, ムラサキブナ
- Korean
- 유럽너도밤나무
- kw
- Fow
- Latvian
- Eiropas dižskābardis, Eiropas dižskābārdis, Parastais dižskābardis
- li
- Beuk
- Lithuanian
- Paprastasis bukas
- lmo
- Foo, Fó
- Luxembourgish
- Routbuch, Routbich, Bluttbuch, Trauerbuch
- Macedonian
- Обична бука, Европска бука
- Malayalam
- ഫാഗസ് സിൽവറ്റിക്ക, യൂറോപ്യൻ ബീച്ച്,കോമൺ ബീച്ച്
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Bøk, Vanlig bøk
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- Bøk
- Occitan
- Fau, Fau europèu, Hac, Hau
- pcd
- Hète
- Persian
- راش اروپایی
- Polish
- Buk zwyczajny, Buk czerwonolistny, Buk pospolity
- Portuguese
- Faia-europeia, Faia europeia
- Quechua
- Iwrupa haya
- Romanian
- Fag, Fagul
- Romansh
- Fau verd
- Russian
- Бук европейский, Бук лесной, Европейский бук, Лесной бук, Красный бук
- se
- Beaika
- Serbian
- Европска буква, Обична буква
- Serbian (Latin)
- Bukva, Obična bukva
- Slovak
- Buk lesný
- Slovenian
- Bukev, Evropska bukev, Navadna bukev
- smn
- Pyekki
- sms
- Põõkk
- Spanish
- Ayolin, Ayolín, Caxiga, Fava, Hagüey, Haya comun, Haya común, Haya de hoja purpurea
- Swedish
- Bok, Bokträd, Rödbok, Vanlig bok
- Turkish
- Avrupa kayını
- Ukrainian
- Бук звичайний, Бук лісовий, Бук європейський
- vec
- Fagaro, Fagher, Faghèr, Fagàro, Fajo
- Vietnamese
- Dẻ gai châu Âu, Dẻ gai Âu châu
- Welsh
- Ffawydden ffawydd
- wuu
- 欧洲山毛榉
- xmf
- Ევროპული ჭყონი
Synonyms
- Castanea fagus Scop.
- Fagus aenea Dum.Cours.
- Fagus asplenifolia Dum.Cours.
- Fagus cochleata hort. ex Domin
- Fagus comptoniifolia Desf.
- Fagus crispa hort. ex Dippel
- Fagus cristata Dum.Cours.
- Fagus cucullata hort. ex Dippel
- Fagus cuprea Hurt. ex A.DC.
- Fagus echinata Gilib.
- Fagus incisa hort. ex Dippel
- Fagus laciniata Hort ex A.DC.
- Fagus pendula Dum.Cours.
- Fagus purpurea (Aiton) Dum.Cours.
- Fagus purpurea var. roseomarginata Cripps
- Fagus quercirdes Pers. ex Dippel
- Fagus salicifolia hort. ex A.DC.
- Fagus sylvatica f. aureovariegata C.K.Schneid.
- Fagus sylvatica f. bornyensis Simon-Louis ex Beissn.
- Fagus sylvatica f. cochleata Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. cristata (Loudon) Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. fastigiata Simon-Louis ex K.Koch
- Fagus sylvatica f. grandidentata Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. heterophylla (Loudon) Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. laciniata (Perr.) Domin
- Fagus sylvatica f. pendula (Lodd.) Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea (Aiton) Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. pyramidalis Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. quercifolia C.K.Schneid.
- Fagus sylvatica f. quercoides Pers.
- Fagus sylvatica f. roseomarginata (Cripps) Domin
- Fagus sylvatica f. tortuosa Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. variegata Dippel
- Fagus sylvatica f. zlatia (Späth ex E.Goeze) Geerinck
- Fagus sylvatica subsp. sylvatica
- Fagus sylvatica var. albovariegata Weston
- Fagus sylvatica var. atropunicea Weston
- Fagus sylvatica var. colorata A.DC.
- Fagus sylvatica var. coriacea Wallr.
- Fagus sylvatica var. cristata Loudon
and 12 more.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Tree
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos
Photo: Malene Thyssen, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: ChrisInMilton, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: philippe_87, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Lorenzo Ivo, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Nah La, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Lisa Bjerke, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Remobi, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: jochem persoons, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Mathis Diveta, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: claussejeanmichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: dariusz.swierk5, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: dominique.carron, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Fagus
- Oriental beechFagus orientalisFagaceae
- American beechFagus grandifoliaFagaceae
- Japanese beechFagus crenataFagaceae
- Chinese beechFagus englerianaFagaceae
- Fagus japonicaFagaceae
- Fagus hayataeFagaceae
- Fagus lucidaFagaceae
- Fagus × tauricaFagaceae
- South Chinese beechFagus longipetiolataFagaceae
- Long-petiole beechFagus sinensisFagaceae
- Fagus chieniiFagaceae
- Fagus multinervisFagaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.