Fagus orientalis Lipsky

A deciduous tree. It can grow to 20-30 m high. It can spread to 15 m across. The bark is grey and smooth but sometimes with furrows. The leaves are longer than Fagus sylvatica. They are narrowly oval and 12 cm long by 6 cm wide. They have about 8-12 pairs of veins. They are dark green and smooth above and with silky hairs on the veins underneath. They turn brown in autumn. The male and female flowers occur in separate clusters on the same plant. Male are yellow and female are green. The fruit is a bristly husk 2.5 cm long. It splits open into 4 lobes. It encloses 1-3 seeds. They are small and edible.

Broadleaved, mixed broadleaved-coniferous forests, sometimes forming pure stands, favouring moist, fertile forest soils.

The seeds are fried and eaten as a snack.

Can be grown by seedlings.