 European
Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus--European Hornbeam
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
Height: 50 ft
Spread: 35 ft
Form: rounded
Type: deciduous tree
Annual Growth Rate: less than 12 inches
Comments: European Hornbeam may be low branched, has yellow fall color and enough pruning tolerance to be used as a hedge plant. The tree is valued for its adaptable nature, particularly in urban settings.
It somewhat resembles both beech and elm, and provides a
moderate shade when branched higher.
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Bark of a mature European Hornbeam |
Cultivars: There are many interesting cultivars of European hornbeam but relatively few are generally available. 
'Columnaris' - a distinctly upright columnar to narrow teardrop growth habit through maturity, densely foliaged, a much thinner version of the species (to 25' tall by 10' wide, but often seen at half to two-thirds of that size), noted for its dark green Summer foliage that clusters at the branch tips, and especially noted for its formal aristocratic appearance, with small branches continuously emerging along the length of the strong central leader that is limbed up 3' to 5' during nursery growth and therefore does not branch and foliage to the ground; a great architectural small- to medium-sized tree for complementing either tall buildings or buildings with strong vertical lines Check out more trees from the
Tree of the Week Archive. |
