Carpinus betulus Lucas - Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus 'Lucas' is a recent variety of common hornbeam with a slender, dense, and compact growth habit. It reaches a height of about 10m (32ft 10in) with a spread of only 2.50m at maturity, making it very suitable as a tree for aligning along narrow alleys and avenues, or as a border tree in a medium-sized garden. Its green leaves are larger and darker than those of other cultivars. They turn yellow-brown to golden yellow in autumn and persist on grey-brown branches before falling. This vigorous hornbeam is very hardy and resilient, and is truly easy to grow.

Carpinus betulus, sometimes called hornbeam, is a tree native to forests in Europe and Asia Minor (Turkey and Ukraine), and has a pyramidal habit that becomes more rounded over time. Its straight trunk is covered with pale grey to grey-green bark. The bark is smooth in young hornbeams and becomes fissured as it ages. Its flowers are monoecious, either male or female, appearing in autumn (male catkins) and spring (female catkins). Carpinus betulus produces pendulous clusters of fruits, 3 to 6cm (1.2 to 2.4in) long, which are green and turn yellow-brown when mature in late September. These fruits are called samaras and are toxic.

The 'Lucas' variety is a Belgian cultivar selected in 2003. It stands out from the species with its slender, compact, and remarkably narrow habit, becoming more ovate with age. At maturity, this small tree will not exceed 10m (32ft 10in) in height with a spread of 2.50m (8ft 2in). Its dark grey-brown branches bear foliage composed of large, ovate, and doubly dentate leaves, measuring 8 to 12cm (3.1 to 4.7in) long. The colour is a dark green from spring to summer, turning to a bright yellow-brown to golden yellow in autumn.

The 'Lucas' hornbeam is a very hardy and undemanding plant, adapting to any sufficiently deep soil, even dry, and suitable for urban environments. It is particularly well suited for aligning along narrow alleys or as a garden border. It can also be integrated into a hedge, combined with other deciduous foliage shrubs such as Cotinus, deciduous Euonymus, Persian ironwood, or Montpellier maple, all of which are equally easy to grow in all regions.

The wood of the common hornbeam is used for heating, papermaking, as well as for tools and children's toys. It is a shrub that rarely exceeds 100 years in the wild.