Carpinus betulus Columnaris - Hornbeam

The Carpinus betulus 'Columnaris' is a cultivar of Hornbeam or Fastigiate Hornbeam with an extremely slow growth and a compact habit. Its crown, initially ovoid and slender, becomes denser over time. Its trunk is often cleared of branches at the base to highlight this dense and regular crown. This Hornbeam is more slender than the cultivar 'Fastigiata', with which it is often confused. Its leaves turn golden yellow in autumn and remain attached to the branches for quite some time before falling. The elegance of its well-defined silhouette will be appreciated in a French-style garden, a contemporary setting, or in a row to emphasise a grand alley. Like the Hornbeam found in our forests, this cultivar is also hardy and easy to grow.

The Carpinus betulus 'Columnaris' will eventually reach a height of about 8m with a spread of 3m. The trunk, very straight, is covered with a pale grey to greenish-grey bark. It is smooth on young subjects and cracks as it ages. Its flowers are either male or female, they have a slightly different appearance and appear at two distinct periods on the tree: the male catkins are visible in autumn and the female catkins in spring. The Carpinus betulus produces hanging clusters of fruits, 3 to 6 cm long, green in colour, which turn yellow-brown when mature, in late September. These fruits are called samaras and are toxic. The foliage is composed of ovate, doubly toothed leaves, 7 to 12 cm long. Its colour is a light green from spring to summer, turning golden yellow in autumn and then taking on a tobacco tone. To differentiate the leaves of a Hornbeam from those of a Beech, which are often confused, it's very simple! Hornbeam leaves are thin and dentate along the edges, while Beech leaves are hairy and thick.

The 'Columnaris' Hornbeam is a very robust plant that adapts to any sufficiently deep soil, even fairly dry. It is most often used as a solitary specimen in gardens of all sizes. It can be surrounded by evergreen shrubs such as Lonicera nitida 'Garden Clouds Purple Storm', Fargesia 'Moontears' bamboo, Ilex crenata 'Convexa', or other boxwood alternatives.

The wood of the Hornbeam is used for heating, papermaking, as well as for tools and children's toys. It is a shrub that rarely lives for more than 100 years in nature.