Hard beech facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hard beech |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Nothofagus
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| Species: |
truncata
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| Synonyms | |
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Nothofagus truncata (Colenso) Heenan & Smissen |
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The hard beech (Nothofagus truncata) is a special tree found only in New Zealand. Its Māori name is tawhai raunui. This tree gets its common name, "hard beech," because its wood is very tough. It contains a lot of silica, which is a hard mineral. This makes the wood difficult to cut.
Hard beech trees can grow up to 30 meters (about 98 feet) tall. They live in forests from the northern part of the North Island down to Marlborough and south Westland in the South Island. In an area called Taranaki, hard beech trees grow very close together on rocky land. They are also "partially deciduous," meaning they drop many of their leaves in winter. After 2013, this tree became known as Fuscospora truncata in New Zealand.
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Where Hard Beech Trees Grow
Hard beech trees are an important part of the forest. The plants growing under these trees are called the understorey. You might find many different ferns and other small plants there. Some common plants found under hard beech trees include crown fern and drooping spleenwort.
What Hard Beech Trees Look Like
The leaves of the hard beech tree are strong and do not have hairs. They are broadly oval-shaped and measure about 2.5 to 4 centimeters (1 to 1.6 inches) long. Each leaf has eight to twelve pairs of rough, blunt teeth along its edges.
The bark of the tree is thick and has deep grooves. It can be slate gray or dark gray. The male flowers are tiny and red, shaped like bells, and grow in large numbers. The female flowers are green with brown tips. They grow in groups of three on short stems near the leaves.
How People Use Hard Beech Wood
The bark of the hard beech tree has a lot of tannin. This substance was traditionally used to make leather. When the wood is first cut, it looks red. But as it dries, it turns a pale brown color.
Hard beech wood is very strong. It has been used to build bridges, poles, fence posts, and railway sleepers. The wood has a fine, straight grain and a smooth texture. This makes it good for making furniture, floors, decks, and cabinets.
Hard Beech Hybrids
Sometimes, hard beech trees mix with other types of beech trees. When hard beech (Nothofagus truncata) grows near black beech (Nothofagus solandri), they can create a new hybrid species. This new tree is called Nothofagus ×apiculata.
