Carpinus betulus Fastigiata - Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata', also known as Hornbeam or Fastigiate Hornbeam, is a beautiful deciduous tree whose habit resembles that of a poplar. It is adorned with lovely apple green foliage that turns yellow-orange in autumn and remains on the branches for a long time before falling. The elegance of its well-defined silhouette will work in a contemporary setting, in a hedge or in alignment to highlight a grand avenue. This cultivar is very hardy and is truly easy to grow.

Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' is a very popular cultivar, often planted along streets and avenues. The common hornbeam is native to forests in Europe and Asia Minor (Turkey and Ukraine) with a pyramidal habit that rounds out over time. 'Fastigiata' is distinguished by a very compact, low branching, closed crown. At maturity, this tree will reach approximately 15 m (49.2 ft) in height and 5 m (16.4 ft) in width. The straight trunk is covered with a pale grey to greenish-grey bark. It is smooth in young hornbeams and cracks as it ages. Its flowers are either male or female; they have a slightly different appearance and appear at two distinct times. Male catkins are visible in autumn and the female catkins appear in spring. Carpinus betulus produces pendant clusters of fruits measuring 3 cm to 6 cm (1.2 in to 2.4 in) in length, which are green and turn yellow-brown when fully ripe, in late September. These fruits are called samaras and are toxic. The foliage is composed of ovate, double toothed leaves, measuring 7 cm to 12 cm (2.8 in to 4.7 in) in length. Its colour is a light green from spring to summer, turning golden yellow in autumn, and then taking on a tobacco hue. Hornbeam leaves are often mistaken for beech leaves, but it is easy to differentiate between them! Hornbeam leaves are thin and dentate along the edges, whereas beech leaves are velvety and thick.

The Fastigiate Hornbeam is a very hardy and undemanding plant, adapting to any soil that is sufficiently deep, even fairly dry. It is most often used in hedges, whether trimmed or informal, for example as a windbreak, as well as in isolated specimens in medium-sized gardens. It can be combined with other autumn foliage shrubs such as deciduous euonymus, Persian ironwood, or field maple.

The wood of common hornbeam is used for heating, and making paper, tools and children's toys. It is a shrub that rarely exceeds 100 years in nature.