Quercus

European Beech

Fagus sylvatica

Not native to Kentucky

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

More natives for your garden

Check a whole list of plants

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

137CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Fagus

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acleris chalybeanaLesser Maple Leafroller Moth
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta impressaImpressive Dagger, Printed Dagger
  • Acronicta incretaSouthern Oak Dagger, Eclipsed Oak Dagger, Small Oak Dagger
  • Acronicta ovataOvate Dagger, Epauleted Oak Dagger
  • Acronicta tristisSad Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
Show all 137
  • Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
  • Amorpha juglandisWalnut Sphinx
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Anisota senatoriaOrange-Tipped Oakworm Moth, Orangestriped Oakworm
  • Anisota virginiensisPink-striped Oakworm Moth
  • Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apoda biguttataShagreened Slug Moth
  • Apoda y-inversumYellow-Collared Slug Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Baileya dormitansSleeping Baileya
  • Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
  • Besma endropiariaStraw Besma
  • Besma quercivorariaOak Besma
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Catastega aceriellaMaple Trumpet Skeletonizer
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Cenopis diluticostanaSpring Dead-Leaf Roller Moth, Oak Cenopis
  • Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
  • Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
  • Ceratomia amyntorElm Sphinx
  • Charadra deridensThe Laugher
  • Chionodes fuscomaculellaWhite-Spotted Chionodes
  • Choristoneura conflictanaLarge Aspen Tortrix
  • Choristoneura fractivittanaBroken-Banded Leafroller, Lined Corn-Borer Moth
  • Choristoneura fumiferanaSpruce Budworm Moth
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Colocasia flavicornisYellowhorn, Saddled Yellowhorn
  • Colocasia propinquilineaClosebanded Yellowhorn
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Cydia latiferreanaFilbertworm
  • Dasychira obliquataStreaked Tussock Moth
  • Dasychira vagansVariable Tussock Moth
  • Dasylophia thyatiroidesGray-Patched Prominent
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Dryocampa rubicundaRosy Maple Moth, Green-Striped Mapleworm, Rosy Dryocampa
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
  • Erora laetaEarly Hairstreak
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eulia ministranaFerruginous Eulia
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Heterogenea shurtleffiRed-Eyed Button Slug
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hyperstrotia pervertensDotted Graylet
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Ianassa lignicolorWhite-Streaked Prominent
  • Isa textulaCrowned Slug
  • Isochaetes beutenmuelleriSpun Glass Slug
  • Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
  • Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
  • Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
  • Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
  • Lochmaeus bilineataDouble-Lined Prominent
  • Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
  • Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • Macrurocampa marthesiaMottled Prominent
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Meganola phyllaTwo-Spotted Oak Punkie, Coastal Plain Meganola
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
  • Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
  • Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
  • Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
  • Neurobathra strigifinitellaFinite-Channeled Leafminer
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
  • Olethreutes appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
  • Oneida lunulalisOrange-Tufted Oneida
  • Operophtera bruceataBruce Spanworm
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Orthosia revictaSubdued Quaker
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Packardia elegansElegant Tailed Slug
  • Packardia geminataJeweled Tail Slug Moth
  • Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
  • Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
  • Panopoda rufimargoRed-Lined Panopoda
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Paraclemensia acerifoliellaMaple Leafcutter, Maple Case-Bearer
  • Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
  • Peridea angulosaAngulose Prominent
  • Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
  • Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
  • Phyllonorycter ostryaefoliellaIronwood Leafblotch Miner
  • Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
  • Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
  • Plagodis pulverariaAmerican Barred Umber, Barred Umber
  • Plagodis serinariaLemon Plagodis
  • Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
  • Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
  • Psilocorsis quercicellaOak Leaftier
  • Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Selenia kentariaKent's Geometer
  • Sparganothis unifascianaOne-Lined Sparganothis
  • Symmerista albifronsWhite-Headed Prominent
  • Symmerista canicostaRed-Humped Oakworm
  • Symmerista leucitysOrange-Humped Mapleworm
  • Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
  • Tortricidia pallidaRed-Cross Button Slug
  • Tortricidia testaceaEarly Button Slug
  • Venusia comptariaBrown-Shaded Carpet
  • Zale minereaColorful Zale
  • Zanclognatha cruralisEarly Zanclognatha, Early Fan-Foot
  • Bucculatrix packardella
  • Olethreutes fagigemmeana
  • Trypanisma prudens
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Fagus

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fagaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–7b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Brown/copper, yellow, green or red

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Copper Beech; European Beech

Conservation status

Kentucky rankSNA
Global rankNot available
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

Sources