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Grown In The UK.
Established 1987.
UK Mainland.*
Hornbeam trees are native to the more temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere, including China and central Europe, and the Carpinus betulus is native the UK. The common name of 'Hormbeam' comes from the fact that the wood is so hard that it is likeable to the strength of a stag horn, and 'beam' was the Old English word for tree. The hardiness of the wood makes it perfect for extremely durable woodwork, like parquet flooring or gear pegs in traditional windmills. Despite its durability, the Hornbeam is not a popular choice with carpenters as the wood is too hard to work with for more intricate tasks. Hornbeam trees are monoecious, which means that the male and female catkins can be found on the same tree.
The leaves are alternate, ovate and doubly toothed with prominent veins which make the foliage highly distinguishable from other trees. The leaves are technically described as deciduous, but unusually the majority of the leaves change colour in autumn and hold on the tree over winter until the new shoots are ready in spring. This unusual attribute makes Hornbeams great hedging trees, as they still provide decent cover in the dormant period of winter. Many people train hornbeams as a pleached hedge, and they work really well in this way when trained above a fence.
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Carpinus betulus
Hornbeam Tree
Common Name: Hornbeam TreeLatin Name: Carpinus betulusSoil: Any good garden soilPosition: Full sun or partial shadeFlowering period/colour: Spring/Green catkinsHardiness: Fully hardyHeight and spread in 20 years: 6m/5mSpecial features: A handsome deciduous tree with dense very attractive dark green leaves.Similar in appearance to beech, hornbeam makes a superb specimen tree. Grown as a tree, it has a pyramidal shape that later becomes more rounded. Although it is deciduous, it retains its coppery dead leaves throughout the winter so it remains an effective screen. Green catkins appear in spring and winged nuts develop in autumn.
Carpinus betulus Fastigiata
Upright Hornbeam Tree
Common Name: Upright Hornbeam Tree Latin Name: Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'Soil: Any good garden soilPosition: Full sun or partial shadeFlowering period/colour: April/Pendulous catkinsHardiness: Fully hardyHeight and spread in 20 years: 7m/4mSpecial features: Neater and denser than the simple species, it grows quite fast while young, producing a neat formal shape, almost triangular in silhouette.Carpinus 'Fastigiata' is a distinctive, erect form of the native hornbeam that forms a flame-shaped tree. The dark green foliage turns yellow and orange in the autumn. This tree is excellent planted as a specimen tree or where space is limited.
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Carpinus betulus Rockhampton Red
Hornbeam Tree
Common Name: HornbeamLatin Name: Carpinus betulus 'Rockingham Red'Soil: Any good garden soilPosition: Full sun or partial shadeHardiness: Fully hardyHeight and spread in 20 years: 6m/5mSpecial features: Outstanding autumn colour The 'Rockingham Red' is the perfect choice for outstanding and reliable autumn colour; the green summer leaves turn to blistering shades of orange and red in autumn. As with many hornbeam varieties, the majority of leaves do not fall; instead, in late November, the leaves crisp to a golden brown colour and they remain on the branches until spring. The attractive leaves are ovate in shape, toothed at the margins and ridged on their surface. This is a fantastic choice for a specimen tree, particularly because of its strong autumn colour.
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Carpinus Lucas
Lucas Hornbeam Tree
Common Name: Lucas Hornbeam TreeLatin Name: Carpinus betulus 'Lucas'Soil: Any moist but well drainedPosition: Full sun or light shadeHardiness: HardyFlowering period: SpringFlowering colour: Green catkinsEventual height/spread: 7m/3.5m The 'Lucas' is a delightful variety of hornbeam which has an upright growing habit and takes a columnar form, which broadens with age. A hornbeam tree offers you the benefit of having the colour changes of a deciduous tree and the leaf-retention of a non-deciduous tree as the autumn leaves turn to a crisp yellow colour and they hold on the tree throughout winter. Due to Lucas's upright habit, it makes the perfect specimen tree for the smaller garden and it also works really well when planted as a raised hedge.
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Ostrya carpinifolia
European Hop Hornbeam Tree
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