How to Grow and Care for Southern beech

Myrtle beech (Nothofagus cunninghamii) is a tall-growing evergreen tree that is too large for all but the most extensive gardens. The timber is of excellent quality and is used for fine cabinetry since it polishes to a fine sheen. It is also used for flooring and joinery. However, this tree is in decline and it has a conservation status of Vulnerable (VU).

Silver beech is a multifaceted tree with traditional usages that include dye-making and barracouta bait. This tree is often found in lowlands and montane forests. Silver beech is highly tolerant of frost, making it a great tree for colder climates.

Hard beech is a tree up to 30 m tall occurring in lowland and lower montane forest from latitude 35°S to 42°30'S, that is, from the north of the North Island southwards to Marlborough and south Westland in the South Island.

Nothofagus antarctica typically grows 10 to 25 m tall and has a slender trunk with scaly bark. The leaves are simple and alternate, growing 2 to 4.5 cm long, and often viscid, with a sweetly scented wax. The leaf color is medium green, turning yellow to orange in the fall. The leaves are broadly ovate to triangular, crinkly, rounded at the tips, irregularly and minutely toothed.

Prized by locals for its sturdy timber, which is used in both furniture-making and construction, the roble beech is often compared to an oak tree for its wood quality. It hybridizes naturally with a relative, Nothofagus obliqua, creating Nothofagus × dodecaphylla.