The generic name comes from the Greek fago meaning ‘eat’ because of its edible seeds. According to Greek mythology, in the Mount Olympus there were beeches where wise owls lived. Later, in Roman mythology and legends of ancient Dacians, there are notes in which it was considered as the tree of fertility. It is a dominant tree in wetlands and calcareous soil in Europe, requiring well-drained sandy soils. It is hence more used to cooler climates and other types of soil, where it can reach longevity, the specimen of the Real Alcázar doesn’t have a good appearance. There are famous beech tree groves of Montigny, in France, where there is one that is thought to be 900 years old and a trunk circumference of 8 meters. Several areas of Spain can also boast of having beech trees: Irati Forest in Navarre; Aralar range between Gipuzkoa and Navarre; Vilamaior village in A Coruña, or the beech tree grove in the Tejera Negra, in the province of Guadalajara, where specimens of over 300 years and yews of 600 yews survive.