The American Beech flowers in the spring with new leaves. It makes sense, the new leaves begin the nourishment of the tree after a dormant winter.

The male flowers are small and yellowish crowded in a ball 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter hanging on a long hairy stalk about 2 inches in length.

The female flowers are 1/4 inch long bordered by narrow, hairy, reddish scales. There are two at the end of a short stalk.