Beech

The American beech is a climax forest species of the forest interior. It is sometimes planted on schoolyards, but it is a slow grower. Songbirds feed extensively on the nuts and cache them in the ground. Forgotten nuts germinate the following spring. The “planting” of beechnuts by blue jays is thought to be responsible for the rapid advance of beech trees from southern refugia during the immediate post glacial period. The beech blight aphid can be seen feeding on birch bark, where it is sucking plant juices from the inner bark, or phloem.