Beech cupules. The husk can have a variety of spine- to scale-like appendages, the character of which is, in addition to leaf shape, one of the primary ways beeches are differentiated. The nuts are edible, though bitter (though not nearly as bitter as acorns) with a high tannin content, and are called beechnuts or beechmast. The name of the tree (Latin "fagus", whence the species name; cognate with English "beech") is of Indo-European origin, and played an important role in early debates on the geographical origins of the Indo-European people. Greek φηγός is from the same root, but the word was
The Weeping Beech to generations of the Bowne family until 1945, the Bowne House reportedly served as a stop on the Underground Railroad prior to the American Civil War. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is also a New York City landmark. Kingsland Homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places. In making the designation to Landmark status, the Dept of historic preservation stated; ""the Landmarks Preservation Commission finds that the Weeping Beech Tree has a special character, special historical and aesthetic interest and value as part of the development, heritage and cultural characteristics of