Sorry! Our minimum order is £100. 25/3 All bare root plants now sold out.

Hornbeam in spring

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

The handsome, spreading Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus, looks very similar to Beech, although it's not related. It has an attractive fluted and sinewy trunk, and is consequently often used as a pleached tree or for espalier planting. It's a useful and unfussy tree, holding its leaves in winter in a formal hedge (although not as a tree), which makes it very handy as a windbreak - an odd feature known as marcescence.

Like all the native species we sell, our hornbeam plants are British grown from UK origin seed. See below for more details...
Regular price
£12.95
Regular price
Sale price
£12.95
Unit price
per 
Availability
Sold out
Prices include VAT (when applicable) and delivery to mainland UK.
We're currently selling cell grown 40/60cm cell grown plants, for planting March to May.

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

Hornbeam tolerates damp sites and surprisingly deep shade. Hornbeam wood is amazingly tough (and will quickly blunt a chainsaw), hence it being known as "Ironwood", and burns well, hence another synonym, "Candlewood".

These trees typically like poorly drained heavy soils, usually slightly acidic. They will recover quickly from browsing.

Hornbeam's natural range in the UK is in the South East and East Anglia, where it was managed by pollarding, although we have some beautiful specimens in old wood pasture in Somerset dating from the 19th century, when they were popular. Carpinus betulus thrives on heavy soils and works well to make a formal hedge on its own, or as a component of a mixed hedge. It is, consequently, good for privacy and for providing shelter for birds and other wildlife.

Plants For Sale

Like all the native trees we sell, our Hornbeams are grown in the UK from UK origin seed. We're currently selling 2 year old 60/90cm plants, in multiples of 5.

We're also offering smaller cell grown plants, 40/60cm, ideal for planting later in the season, from March to May.

Suppliers: RV Roger, British Hardwood Trees, Cheviot Trees. All these growers are Plant Healthy certified.

Please note that standard sizes relate to tree girths in cm, and approximate to the Hornbeam's height in feet. See our planting and size guide for details and tips on planting.

All these Hornbeam trees are bare root, and are consequently available for delivery from November until March. During the lifting season there may be up to a month's delay between placing the order and dispatching (longer for standards), due to weather conditions or pressure of orders, which are dealt with in date sequence. Orders for Hornbeams placed between March and September are confirmed in October ready for dispatch from November.

Size

  • Ultimate Height

    25m

  • Ultimate Spread

    20m

  • Time to Ultimate Height

    Over 20 years

Soil

  • Type

    Clay, loam, sand, chalk

  • pH

    Neutral, acid, alkaline

Situation

  • Position

    Sheltered or exposed

  • Sunlight

    Full or partial sun

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