European Hornbeam seeds

Carpinus betulus seeds

Habitat

native to Europe and Asia Minor
zone 5
Habit and Form

a deciduous, medium sized tree
40′ to 60′ tall with roughly an equal width
somewhat pyramidal or oval when young
mature plants are broad and rounded
foliage is typically dense

Summer Foliage

alternate, deciduous leaves
leaves are 2.5″ to 5″ long and 1″ to 2″ wide
oblong-ovate leaves with rounded base and acute tip
margins doubly serrate
leaves are heavily textured with very impressed veins
leaf color is dark green
high quality summer foliage

Autumn Foliage

fall color is yellow to yellow-green
not impressive
leaves held late into the fall
Flowers

monoecious with male and female flowers on the same plant
male flowers are 1.5″ long catkins
female flowers are 1.5″ to 3″
flowers are not considered showy
blooms in April

Fruit

a ribbed nutlet subtended by a 1″ to 1.5″ papery, leaf-like bract
numerous nutlets are held together in pendulous chain-like clusters
color changes from green to brown in September thru October

Bark

interesting, smooth fluted bark
showy steel-gray color
considered to be ornamental

Culture

very soil adaptable as long as the soil is well-drained
full sun is best
can tolerate urban conditions and pollution
can be pruned or hedged if so desired
long-lived tree
difficult to transplant as large tree
Landscape Use

shade tree
street tree (upright form)
for screening
specimen
can be pleached or pruned into a large hedge
works well in large planter boxes, tree lawns and in urban plaza plantings, although upright selection may be most suitable

Liabilities

generally free of problems
can be attacked by Japanese Beetle
canker and stem die-back occur occasionally
narrow branch angles on upright forms may be prone to splitting in ice storms
ID Features

buds hook or curve back around the stem
alternate leaf arrangement
highly impressed veins and textured leaves
clusters of nutlets with bracts
fluted, muscle-like gray bark
dense, clean summer foliage
Propagation

by seed, but requires stratification
cuttings can be rooted, but they are difficult
cultivars are often grafted onto seedlings
Cultivars/Varieties

‘Asplenifolia’ and ‘Incisa’ – Both have deeply cut leaves so the teeth are more like lobes.

‘Fastigiata’ – A very popular cultivar that is much more common than the species in commerce. Not really a columnar form, but rather develops a dense, formal, pyramidal outline with unrivaled symmetry. Reaches 40′ to 50′ tall and 20′ to 30′ wide at the bottom third of the plant. Lacks a true central leader and has numerous, fine upright branches. In the trade, variability exists in ‘Fastigiata’ as far as its shape, so it is probable that more then one clone is being called ‘Fastigiata’.

‘Globosa’ – A rounded dense tree with no central leader. Slow growing, only reaching 15′ to 20′ tall.

‘Pendula’ – Various weeping clones are occasionally seen, but they differ widely in their ultimate size and habit.

‘Quercifolia’ – Leaves somewhat oak-like in shape (lobed).