Properties of American Beech

• American beech is a strong, hard, heavy wood that has a fine grain with tiny pores and large medullary rays. Medullary rays are parts of the wood that radiate from the center of the beech log. These rays have a different cellular structure from the other heartwood and reflect light differently.
  
  

Color

• Healthy American beech trees have a dark heartwood (dense inner part of a tree trunk) that is usually a reddish color and white sapwood (soft outer layers of wood between the heartwood and the bark). However, oxidation and fungal stain easily discolor the sapwood if it's not handled properly as logs or green lumber, according to Purdue Extension. Also, beech veneer tends to have a slightly darker color than the tree, because steam is usually used to prepare the wood for slicing into veneer. The steam gives the wood a more golden tone, according to the Wood Database.
  
  

Uses of Veneer

• Veneer is often used because it costs less than using a solid fine wood. Veneers are used on cabinets, furniture, musical instruments, car dashboards and much more.
  
  

Considerations

• In addition to veneer, American beech is used for other purposes, including wooden clothespins, brush backs and handles, woodenware, chairs, flooring, railroad ties and pallets. Beech lumber is one of the least expensive materials available, according to Purdue Extension. In Europe, European beech serves many of the same purposes as American beech.