Fagus grandifolia is a species of beech tree native to the eastern United States and Canada. The Latin name translates to beech (Fagus) and large leaf (grandis folium). The lifespan of the American Beech is typically up to 200 years. Its buds are slender and sharply pointed. The flowers on the tree are monoecious, which means that it has flowers of both sexes on the same tree. The fruit is a small, edible, sharp nut that grows in pairs in a soft husk. The tree reproduces through the dispersal of seeds and also through root sprouts. Many people used to look for beeches when scouting for fertile soil in which crops could be grown. Threats to beech trees in the northeast are Cryptococcus, the wooly beech scale that attacks the tree's bark and infects it with a fungus, and Phytophthora, a fungus that causes bleeding cankers. Cutting initials and a heart in the bark of the beech tree may cause the fungus to invade the tree and may kill the tree. The wood of the beech is used in flooring, containers, furniture, and woodenware.