American vs. European beech
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Q: If we send you a sample of beech, can you tell us if the wood is American beech or European beech?

A: There are no identification features that let us separate the two beeches from each other. However, from time to time American beech (Fagus gradifolia) will have crystals in some cells which are not found in European beech (Fagus silvatica).

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Gene Wengert

Gene Wengert (1942-2025) was popularly known as “The Wood Doctor.” He trained thousands of people in efficient use of wood for more than 50 years and authored foundational resources on wood technology. He worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Virginia Tech. His popular "Wood Doctor's Rx" column has appeared regularly in FDM and FDMC magazine since 1978. Because so much of his advice was timeless, he asked that we continue to run his columns in memoriam.