On Fri, 5 May 2006 23:22:34 +0000
Dave Roberts wrote:


Hi!
Is there a Forester or Tree Person out there who has expert knowledge
of this subject? I have been told that the leaves from a Beech tree
will poison the ground beneath so that no other species of plant will
grow. Is there scientific proof of this?

Dave,

You're concerned about the allelopathy of the species Fagus. I don't
think you need worry.

Here's a paper from U of Georgia in the US that discusses the
relative allelopathies of different trees. You'll note Fagus is in
the "slight effect" section.

http://www.urbanforestrysouth.org/Re...load/file_name

If for some reason this doesn't work for you google "fagus allelopathy."

The most notorious species in this respect is Juglans nigra. I have
heard that a mature specimen can effect other plants as far as
60 feet away. For most of us, the only issue is that Juglans
regia is sometimes grafted on nigra, which could be a problem
in the garden environment.

HTH

-E
--
Emery Davis
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