A specimen tree that readily grows on a huge dome of smooth limbs. Dense foliage shades out the competition and protects thinly clad bark from the sun.
Bark: Smooth gray
Buds: shiny, sharp pointed
Fruit: Nuts husk covered with bristles
Leaves: to 4" Alternate, entire or obscurely toothed
A few pictures of a great Beech tree in Ruskin Park.
Not in leaf yet but I will come back later in the summer and take more pictures.
The tree and location can be seen via Panoramio