The American chestnut tree was once a crucial and predominant tree, not only in the forests of the entire Northeast, but also in urban and rural landscapes. The nuts it produced were a vital food source for wildlife as well as humans. However, in the first half of the twentieth century, essentially all these trees, an estimated 4 billion of them, died of a fungal infection that spread from a Chinese chestnut tree planted at the NY Botanical Gardens. 

Now it appears that another preeminent species of our forests and landscapes, the beech, could suffer the same horrendous fate. In fact, the demise of beech trees could be even more catastrophic in this age of rapid climate change.

The Aura of a Queen

While the oak is indisputably the "king" of the forest, the beech is considered the "queen."

American beech trees are native to eastern North America, and European beech trees are distributed throughout England and Eurasia. But wherever these trees are found, they are known to elicit an unprecedentedly powerful human connection. They aren't just prized, they're cherished.

Undoubtedly, their immense size inspires awe, while their long lives, even 300 to 400 years, alludes to a sense of timelessness. Adding to this illusion is the fact that, over the eons, the thin, smooth bark has allowed lovers, adventurers, and passersby to memorialize themselves by carving their names into it. (Something you should never do!) A Tennessee tree, which survived 365 years, bore the inscription, “D. Boone Cilled a Bar on Tree in 1760." (Clearly, spelling wasn’t Daniel’s long suit!)  

But, significantly, the allure of beech trees also has an implicit human intimacy to it, inspiring use of the pronoun “she.” Standing under one of these giants feels like a protective embrace. Meanwhile, the shallow roots frequently form lumps and sections at the base of the tree almost like human toes, and the thin, gray bark often folds into what appears a human visage. Thinking back on her Glen Ridge beech tree, one former resident said, “When the wind blows, you can hear her sing and feel her presence, love and energy.” 

Gilded-Aged Glen Ridge Beeches

When we suburbanites think of beech trees, we think of gorgeous, immense, often coppery colored trees. These ornamental landscape trees are European in origin. Despite their non-native heritage, they have a long history in the US, arriving with the English colonists. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson planted copper beech trees at Monticello.

Beech trees have two inherent vulnerabilities: their flat, shallow roots and their thin bark. In both instances, wounds and punctures can easily become vectors for disease.

For the Gilded-Age beech, perhaps the most formidable of these is “beech canker,” caused by a root-rotting fungus, phytophthora. The fungus enters wounds and succulent roots, causing large cankers to form from which reddish-brown sap oozes.

But the aged beeches are also highly susceptible to cottony scale, an insect that taps into the bark, introducing another fungus, nectria. It, in turn, kills the bark, causing it to fall off.



Vigorous trees can fight off these diseases. And there are treatments that help forestall an aging tree’s decline. But only for a while. As one arborist pointed out, “They have a lifespan. All the treatment in the world is not going to save them.” This is especially true with the threat of beech leaf disease (BLD) looming.

BLD is caused by a nematode, a microscopic worm, which is believed to have originated in Japan. Although not deemed invasive, the disease is being treated as such. Indeed, it is considered a greater ecological threat to NJ than the spotted lanternfly.

The BLD nematode, spread by birds, winters over in the leaf bud. When it emerges in the spring, dark bands appear between the leaf veins. (These can best be seen by holding the leaf up to the light.) But eventually, the edges of the affected leaves brown, curl and thicken, leading to dieback and the thinning of the canopy. There are no known cures or treatments. As a result, smaller trees, which seem to be the most susceptible, die in a mere 1 to 5 years, while mature trees only last 6 to 10 years.

BLD was first detected in Ohio in 2012 but had spread to NJ by 2020. It is now identified in 10 counties, including Essex. Even though there is no evidence of its having crossed the pond, it has already been given a risk rating of 75 out of a possible 125 on the UK Plant Health Risk Register.



Obviously, losing our beloved ornamental beech trees to BLD would be devastating. But what makes this disease catastrophic from an ecological sense is the fact that, during the past 30 years, beech trees have been rapidly replacing maple and birch in our Northeastern forests due to climate change. Therefore, the death of beech trees will wholly deplete our forests. In other words, the beech could go the way of the chestnut – and then some.

If you suspect BLD, you are asked to contact the NJ Forest Service at  foresthealth@dep.nj.gov or at 609-292-2533. Reporting new detections can help the Forest Service to better understand BLD’s current distribution and track its progression and movement.