Beech Trees - Simply the Best

[mdvaden]

If there was one tree that I had to rate as the best urban landscape tree in Portland, Oregon, it would be have to be beech.

I just planted 3 purple beech for ourselves, about 6 weeks ago, shortly after we moved here.

The past couple of weeks, there has been a surge of calls coming in from NE Portland, in an area where many well preserved historic homes are. And I've seen a lot of excellent beech trees there. Two days ago, working on NE 17th, I was admiring a purple leaf beech across the street - probably 90 to 100 years old.

Today, I took a photo of a large one on NE 28th. Trunk was back behind a fence, but I'm guessing 48" DBH.

The better parts of NE Portland and uphill from SW downtown Portland up to Council Crest Park have a nice assortment of old well cared for trees.

 

[Colin]

They DO look nice!


<font color="green">The TreeHouse</font>

 

[Thillmaine]

Awesoem trees my favorite...until they have to come down...just a nightmare with such heavy wood

 

[Blinky]

I love beeches for beauty but for climbing, you can't beat a giant sycamore.

 

[Rupe]

Beech trees every time for climbing, as long as its dry your boots stick like on gritstone.

And not to bad for TD's heavy yes but usually nicely laid out and easy to rig.

Pic is of the biggest TD beech I've done.

 

[Roger_Barnett]

Great photo, Rupe.

I, too, consider beech, in all its forms, to be one of my favorites. I'd have to search my puter for the many shots of beeches that I admire, and/or have pruned.

I rec climbed the largest copper beech in Wa last year. 115 feet tall, and just under 6 feet dbh....

 

[devil_dog]

This is a beech we took down last week with our bucket. A large branch hit her house and she wanted it down.

 

[brendonv]

I've got to slay a gorgeous Beech within 2 weeks. It's "too big" for the lady. Pics will follow.

Devil dog,

Were you with the crew on 67 at Bank North the other day?

 

[jerseygirl]

here are a few of my favorite Beech trees, for those Jersey people - these are in the Hillside Cemetary in Plainfield off woodland ave and Inman ave.

and the coppers are in the historic cemetary in Rahway.

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/170584332_jqXNE-S.jpg

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/170584365_3gCoC-S.jpg

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/170583818_5dMEq-S.jpg

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/326028969_aJ8Yr-M.jpg

LOVE THEM

 

[mdvaden]

[ QUOTE ]
here are a few of my favorite Beech trees, for those Jersey people - these are in the Hillside Cemetary in Plainfield off woodland ave and Inman ave.

and the coppers are in the historic cemetary in Rahway.

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/170584332_jqXNE-S.jpg

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/170584365_3gCoC-S.jpg

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/170583818_5dMEq-S.jpg

http://seamorelilfoot.smugmug.com/photos/326028969_aJ8Yr-M.jpg

LOVE THEM

[/ QUOTE ]With old beech like the one in the last image, the bark almost reminds me of a young elephant, how the skin ripples in areas.

 

[devil_dog]

[ QUOTE ]


Devil dog,

Were you with the crew on 67 at Bank North the other day?

[/ QUOTE ] yep, removing junipers. it sucked. you should have stopped in to help.

 

[brendonv]

Haha, instead I drove by and smiled and said "looks like that sucks".

Your new truck looks pretty badass!

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Haha, instead I drove by and smiled and said "looks like that sucks".

Your new truck looks pretty badass!

[/ QUOTE ]


Pics of the new truck!? gj:

And for the topic. I hardly ever see Beech trees out here. And when I do see one, they are young and small. Certainly I haven't seen a larger one like in the shared photos. What a shame. They sound like a fun climb.

 

[Peter]

I love beech trees, for looking at, climbing or working on, but only in the dry!

Pic is of the second biggest I'v done, a really tall slim woodland tree, about 40 feet of clear stem, then some massive horizontal limbs, a co-dominant at about 80 feet, and in total around the 100 foot mark. Took it down in a day, chipping on site, left all the timber on site too. The last two stem sections were free falled, and were around 12-15 feet long and nearly 3 feet diameter. We pulled them over with a tracked chipper, but on the second and larger section the ground crew had to use a tirfor winch to get the chipper moving!

 

[Reg]

[ QUOTE ]
I love beech trees, for looking at, climbing or working on, but only in the dry!

[/ QUOTE ]

We got saturated on this job, you can see the next front moving behind me, about ready to give us another lashing. Splendid trees though, I agree.

 

[Peter]

Dont you just love british weather, sunshine and rain at the same time. Your on a beech job in your avatar arent you?

 

[Reg]

[ QUOTE ]
Your on a beech job in your avatar arent you?


[/ QUOTE ]
So it was, you have a better memory than I do

 

[TC]

[ QUOTE ]
I love beech trees, for looking at, climbing or working on, but only in the dry!


[/ QUOTE ]

I detest working on Beech trees, unless I'm felling the spar. Re Climbing - They are disgusting trees to rig down, over-heavy, sharp edged, spike kickouts all the time, unpredictably brittle. Pure hell in the wet.

They're nice in a woodland setting though.

Here's a pic of Beech being destroyed