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Features

Tree

Leaf

Blossom

Fruit

  Latin name Carpinus betulus
  Family Betulaceae (birch family)
  Distribution Europe, Balkan Peninsula, Caucasus, Northern Iran
  Height 10 to 25 m
  Age Up to 150 years
  Roots Regular, up to 1.4 m deep heart root system; highly adaptable to different soil conditions
  Bark Silvery to dark grey, thin bark with net-like lines; fairly smooth even in old age. Trunk with longitudinal ridges, often with picturesque spiral growth.
  Leaves Egg-shaped, pointed at the tip, with doubly serrated margins, sunken leaf veins. Bright yellow autumnal colouring. Part of the dry leaves is shed only in spring with new growth.
  Flowers Monoecious with separate male and female flowers appearing with leaf emergence. Male catkins hanging, cylindrical, yellow-brown, up to 7 cm, female catkins inconspicuous, green, up to 3 cm. Wind-pollinated.
  Flowering period April to May
  Fruits Light green, later brown, hanging clusters of small nuts on 3-lobed bracts, serving for wind dispersal.
  Fruiting period September to October
  Alternative names Common hornbeam, European hornbeam, yoke elm

 

Carpinus betulus

The hornbeam belongs to the birch family (Betulaceae) and besides birches is also related to alders and hazelnuts.

It is a typical native deciduous tree found in forests, but it is also commonly planted as hedges in gardens. Hornbeam hedges were traditionally used in agriculture as border plantings for pastures and field areas. Hence, the German name "Hagebuche," derived from "Hag" meaning “hedge”. The hedges from hornbeam are impenetrable to cows and also provide good wind protection.

Ecology

Birds use the dense shrubbery of a hornbeam hedge as well-protected nesting sites. Also small mammals like hedgehogs seek shelter here. Although they are primarily wind-pollinated, bees do visit the small flowers in spring. Hornbeams take about 20 years to flower for the first time.

Wood

In German hornbeam is sometimes called “Weissbuche” so “white beech” as the wood of hornbeam is greyish-white to white, unlike the reddish wood of the European beech. There are no colour differences between sapwood and heartwood. The wood is uniformly structured, and growth rings are barely visible. Hornbeam wood is very hard and heavy, harder than that of beech and oak. Also its name, a combination of “horn” (as hard as horn) and “beam” (an Old English word for "tree" and related to the German “Baum”) refers to the hardness of its wood. Its wood has remained an important material to this day and is also popular as firewood due to its heating power.