Beech tree. Image 10 of 12. European beech tree (Fagus sylvatica) in October. It is a deciduous tree, and is shedding its leaves for the winter. The beech may reach up to 40 metres in height and live for several hundred years. It is found throughout Europe, apart from in the far north and south. Photographed in Oxfordshire, England. For images of this tree during the changing seasons, see images B601/196-207.