Hornbeam, European
Carpinus betulus
Betulaceae - Birch

Description

Leaves: Alternate; simple; ovate to oblong-ovate; 2-1/2" to 5" long; 1" to 2" wide; deciduous; sharply, doubly serrate margin; rounded base; acuminate apex; dark green; hairy on veins beneath with tufts of hair where veins meet; yellow in fall; petiole 1/4" to 1/2" long, hairy.

Twigs/buds: Twigs glabrous; greenish-brown; with lenticels. No terminal bud; lateral buds 1/4" to 1/3" long, angled at tip, scaly with soft hair on scales, buds pressed against stem.

Flowers/fruit: Monoecious. Fruit a small nutlet attached to a large, 3-lobed bract, 1" to 1-1/2" long; bracts arranged in loose clusters.

Bark: Thin; gray; very smooth, with stem having a sinewy feel, sometimes called "musclewood".

Wood: Very hard and heavy, but not commonly used. Like hophornbeam, also called "ironwood". Sapwood white; heartwood light yellow or tan; diffuse-porous.

General: Native to Europe and Asia minor. Slow growing, small to medium-sized tree. Likes well-drained conditions, but otherwise tolerates a wide range of soils, including high pH. Shade tolerant.

Landscape Use: Very good tree that is not planted much in Utah, but is gaining popularity. Cultivars are available with a wide variety of forms, leaf colors, and leaf shapes. Zones 4-8.

Cultivars: 'Asplenifolia', 'Brownstone', 'Columnaris', 'Columnaris Nana', 'Cornerstone', 'Emerald Avenue', 'Fastigiata', 'Franz Fontaine', 'Globosa', 'Pendula', 'Purpurea'.

Characteristics

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