Carpinus Betulus - Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus, commonly known as Hornbeam, is a medium-sized, elegant native tree often mistaken for Beech at first glance. It thrives in wet or shady sites where Beech struggles, making it an excellent choice for parklands, gardens, hedges, and woodland schemes. Hornbeam’s versatility, strength, and tolerance of challenging soils, including heavy clay, make it ideal for councils, landscapers, landowners, and professional planting contractors seeking durable, long-lasting trees for both formal and naturalistic planting.

Hornbeam performs exceptionally well on most soils, tolerates shade and frost pockets, and its strong timber ensures resilience against wind. Its pyramidal form gradually rounds with age, providing year-round structure and interest. The leaves are ovate, sharply toothed, and mid-green, turning yellow and orange in autumn, and are retained over winter on hedges, offering seasonal texture even when dormant. In spring, yellowish female catkins are followed by green winged fruits that ripen to brown, attracting insects and supporting local wildlife.

This is the size and type we sell: Carpinus betulus Hornbeam 20–50cm Cell Grown, Carpinus betulus Hornbeam 40–60cm 2+0, and Carpinus betulus Hornbeam 60–80cm 2+0, professionally grown trees suitable for hedging, pleaching, coppicing, or specimen planting.

Hornbeam is widely used for coppicing, pollarding, and pleached hedges, where its branches are trained horizontally at regular intervals. Its hard wood has traditional uses for butcher’s blocks, mallets, gun stocks, mill cogs, and piano hammers. As a native tree, Hornbeam supports insects, provides shelter in bark crevices, and contributes to biodiversity in hedgerows and woodland habitats.

Features & Benefits

Medium-sized deciduous native tree, pyramidal then rounded form

Excellent tolerance of wet, shady, or clay soils

Strong timber; wind-resistant and long-lasting

Retains leaves over winter on hedges

Suitable for coppicing, pollarding, and pleached hedges

Supports insects and provides food for birds

Ideal for parklands, gardens, woodland, and formal hedges

Applications

Specimen tree planting in parklands and gardens

Woodland creation and mixed native hedgerows

Pleached or formal hedges

Coppicing and pollarding projects

Hedging for councils, estates, and landowners

Biodiversity and wildlife-friendly planting

Height & Spread (Approximate)

After 10 years: 6m height x 4m spread

After 20 years: 11m height x 6m spread

Growth assumes suitable site conditions.

Botanical Name | Carpinus betulus

Common Name | Hornbeam

Plant Type | Deciduous native tree

Growth Rate | Medium-Fast

Mature Height | Up to 20m+

Mature Spread | Up to 6m

Soil Type | Heavy clay, wet, shaded, and most free-draining soils

Aspect | Full sun to partial shade

Hardiness | Fully hardy in the UK

Plant Size & Type | 20–50cm Cell Grown / 40–60cm 2+0 / 60–80cm 2+0

Maintenance | Coppice/pollard winter; hedges trimmed summer

Wildlife Value | Catkins attract insects; bark and leaves provide food and shelter for birds