 | European Hornbeam - Carpinus betulus Birch Family: Betulaceae Height: 40 to 60 feet / Spread: 35 to 40 feet [Cirrus Home] [Tree Encyclopedia] [Trees Alphabetic Table of Contents] [Family Betulaceae] |
 European Hornbeam Foliage |
The species is not normally grown but it reaches 60 feet tall and spreads 40 feet, preferring well-drained soil. The cultivar ‘Fastigiata’ is most often offered by nurseries and is a popular street tree. The species tolerates a pH above 7.0. The plant grows slowly, is shallow rooted, and it can branch low to the ground. The crown is finely branched, densely foliated and forms a beautiful oval or vase in the landscape. European hornbeam has yellow fall color and enough pruning tolerance to be a hedge, tall screen or topiary. It was and is the plant of choice for clipped screens and hedges in English and early American gardens.
The tree lends itself well for use as a screen due to the densely foliated crown and low, dense branching. It can also be trained to one central leader and used as a fine street tree, but will benefit from occasional irrigation in a prolonged drought, although severe drought will not kill the tree, but could cause die-back. There are old plants in the south which look great, having received no irrigation in recent droughts. These plants were observed in areas where soil space was not limiting and roots were allowed to expand unhindered by urban structures like curbs, pavement and sidewalks. |
Lower branches should be removed early if using it for a street tree but with lower branches intact it makes a wonderful climbing tree. The cultivars are usually very branchy and form a dense crown too thick to climb. The wood is very hard and strong and dulls wood working tools quickly. Fruit and buds are eaten by many birds. It is reportedly difficult to transplant which, along with slow growth, probably accounts for its lack of use, but it has most of the attributes commonly associated with a good urban tree and should be planted more. |
 This European Hornbeam was started from seed 27 years ago. |
Relatively few insects attack European hornbeam. Maple phenacoccus forms white cottony masses on the undersides of the leaves. Two-lined chestnut borer can cause dieback. Diseases: None are normally very serious. Several fungi cause leaf spots on Hornbeam. Leaf spots are not serious so control measures are usually not needed. Canker caused by several fungi causes infected branches to dieback and entire trees die if the trunk is infected and girdled. Severely infected trees cannot be saved but infected branches are pruned out. Powdery mildew can cause a white powdery growth on the leaves, but the disease is not common on Carpinus. --USDA Forest Service Fact Sheet ST-118 November 1993 |
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