Hornbeam Carpinus betulus
Hornbeam or Carpinus betulus is a medium sized native tree grown in a number of forms. It is an underused but beautiful parkland specimen while hornbeam is one of the most popular trees for pleaching and pollarding. Carpinus betulus is also a coppice tree but is most widely used as hornbeam hedging. The Hornbeam on this page are primarily intended as hedge plants. Although unrelated to beech, Carpinus betulus looks very similar and it does much better on wet soil and clay than beech does. Hornbeam is also surprisingly happy in shady spots where it makes an excellent understory beneath larger trees.
Like beech, a Hornbeam hedge is an outstanding addition to a formal or semi-formal setting. The glossy green leaves turn golden yellow in autumn and then brown in winter, when they are held until December if the hedge is well clipped. Being shade tolerant, Carpinus betulus is a better choice than beech for planting as a barrier under existing trees. It ability to grow in wet places - where beech absolutely will not makes Hornbeam is a most useful tree for poor planting conditions. This applies both to soil and to exposure. Hornbeam wood is enormously strong and much less likely to break in high winds than most other trees. To 20m
We also sell Hornbeam container grown for summer planting - click the Pot Grown Hedging link on the left of this page to see our range. Please note that all the hornbeam on this page are grown for hedge and forestry planting. Although they may be suitable for growing on as ornamental standards, pleaches and other trained forms, they are not sold as such.
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