Carpinus betulus Rockhampton Red Lochglow - Hornbeam

Carpinus betulus Rockhampton Red is an exceptional common hornbeam. It was noticed in autumn because its sumptuous foliage continued to blaze in bright orange and red, surrounded by the already-browned foliage of the hornbeam. If this pyramidal tree is often relegated to a supporting role, Rockhampton Red, with its unique autumn foliage, deserves to be honoured in a beautiful bocage hedge that it will liven up until late in the season, just as much as a Parrotia, a maple or a Liquidambar. Its wavy leaves retain their splendour for a long time before browning. Marcescent, they persist for a long time on almost black branches before falling. This hornbeam is as vigorous and resistant as the species type and truly easy to cultivate. It tolerates pruning well and bends to all whims.

 Carpinus betulus, sometimes called hornbeam, is a tree native to the forests of Europe and Asia Minor (Turkey and Ukraine) with a pyramidal habit that rounds off over time. Its 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 monoecious, either male or female, with a slightly different appearance and appearing in autumn (male catkins) and spring (female catkins). Carpinus betulus produces fruits in pendulous clusters, 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 in) long, green in colour and turning yellow-brown when fully mature in late September. These fruits are called "samaras" and are toxic.

The Rockhampton Red 'Loch Glow' variety received a Special Mention from the jury at the Salon du Végétal in 2016. It stands out with its magnificent red and orange autumn foliage, which is very long-lasting. At maturity, this well-branched tree reaches a height of 20 m (65 ft 7 in) with a spread of 15 m (49 ft 2 in). Its slow growth allows it to achieve an annual growth of 50 cm (19.7 in) to 1 m (3 ft 4 in) under good growing conditions. Its very dark, grey-brown-black branches bear compound leaves that are ovate and doubly toothed, measuring 7 to 12 cm (2.8 to 4.7 in) long. Its colour is a bright green from spring to summer, turning to shades of red and vibrant orange from the end of September to November, which give it all its charm and uniqueness.

Rockhampton Red is a very hardy and undemanding tree, adapting to any soil that is sufficiently deep, even limestone and occasionally dry soil. It is most commonly used in hedges, whether trimmed or free, as a windbreak, for example, as well as in isolated gardens. It can be combined with other shrubs and trees with autumn foliage, such as smoke bushes, deciduous euonymus, Persian ironwood, or Montpellier maple. The orange hips of English roses Morning Mist or Fighting Temeraire should accompany its flamboyant branches until the first frost.

The wood of the common hornbeam is used for heating and papermaking, as well as tools and toys for children. It is a plant whose lifespan rarely exceeds 100 years in the wild.