- The fruits of the copper beech
- When do the fruits of the copper beech ripen
- Lots of fruit in fattening years
- Fruits are slightly poisonous
In some years, the copper beech develops a large number of fruits. In other years, on the other hand, there are almost no beechnuts to be found. What you should know about the slightly poisonous fruits of copper beeches.
The beech nuts of the copper beech are slightly poisonous when raw, but can be eaten roasted
The fruits of the copper beech
Only after 30, sometimes even after 40 years does the copper beech begin to bloom. Fruit develops from the flowers.
- Fruits about two centimeters long
- grey-brown color
- slightly prickly
- two to four beechnuts per fruit
When do the fruits of the copper beech ripen
The fruits of the copper beech are ripe in September and October. They then fall to the ground. The skin of the fruit often cracks open and the beechnuts fall off by themselves.
The seeds are spread by squirrels and jays. They are often buried and forgotten, so that a new copper beech grows in their place.
In the forest, beechnuts are an important source of food for wild boar, red and fallow deer, as well as birds and other forest animals. They contain a lot of oil and help the forest dwellers to build up fat reserves for the winter.
Lots of fruit in fattening years
Like all beeches, not many fruits ripen on copper beeches every year. In some years there is no harvest at all, in other years there are so many beechnuts that the whole ground is covered with them.
This is a natural process, also known as fattening. Excessive production of seeds ensures that at least part is not eaten by animals and new trees develop from it.
Fruits are slightly poisonous
Beechnuts contain a lot of oxalic acid and fagin. They are therefore classified as slightly toxic. Excessive consumption causes nausea and abdominal pain.
The toxins can be broken down by heating. Roasted beechnuts are often used in vegan cuisine. The fruits are more edible due to the heat treatment.
Beechnuts can also be ground into flour and used to bake bread, cakes and biscuits.
tips
If you want to propagate copper beeches yourself, you can collect the seeds from free standing copper beeches in the forest. However, the seeds must be stratified before sowing. This means that they need a longer cold phase to overcome the germination inhibition.