The Carpinus betulus tree has grey smooth bark and fluted trunk is awonderful, stately, rounded tree. Ovate, glossy foliage is mid-green anddeeply ribbed turning yellow in the autumn. Green catkins appear from latespring followed by clusters of winged fruit. It takes well to beingtrained and is often used for pleaching. The wood can be used forconstruction or fuel as this tree is suited to pollarding or coppicing. Thehornbeam tree will happily grow in a shaded position and is reliably tough.It is also attractive to a great deal of wildlife most prominently thehawfinch and several species of moth. As a tree, Carpinus betulus will growto 10 x 6 metres in 20 years, a beautiful, majestic tree for those who havethe space. KEY FEATURES Common name: Common hornbeam Height and spread in20 years: 10 x 6 meters Seasons of interest: Spring, Autumn,Winter Foliage: Mid-green, deeply ribbed leaves turn yellow inautumn Soil: Tolerant of most soil types but requires a moist,well-drained site Native to the UK

Garden Use
Carpinusbetulus is a very useful tree with strong timber and makes a fantastichedge, especially as a pleached hedge, and when clipped correctly will holdits brown leaves for some time when others have fallen. A great specimen orscreening tree, perfect for formal gardens.

PlantingGuide
Pot grown European Hornbeam trees can be planted at any timeof the year, unlike bare root trees. Start by removing weeds and grasswithin a metre of your intended planting hole. Dig a square hole as deep asyour root mass and approximately 2x as wide. To help your tree establishmore effectively, especially if you have poor soil, we advise sprinklingroot grow in the hole. Take the pot off and gently loosen the treeroots, then place into the planting hole. Mix 50% of the original soil with50% compost, then fill in the hole and firm around gently. Make sure not tobank the soil up around the collar of the tree. We advise planting youngtrees with a stake and tie kit and, if your area is prone to rabbits, arabbit guard. Aftercare of Carpinus betulus Trees If you’re planting inspring, summer or dry weather, water well and regularly for the first fewmonths. Make sure to keep an eye on young European Hornbeam trees andincrease watering if there are extended periods of hot or dry weather. Ifyou’re planting in autumn, you may only need to water your tree a little.We stock a range of irrigation kits, suitable for a variety of plantingschemes. Once planted, it is important to keep the area free ofcompeting weeds and grass for the first couple of growingseasons. Pruning Advice for Carpinus betulus Trees European Hornbeamtrees develop a well-balanced canopy with little help from us. EstablishedHornbeam trees only require tidying up, by removing any crossing or damagedbranches. You can encourage young Hornbeam trees to form a clear trunkby pruning the lower branches. This will help to raise the canopy andimprove the overall look of the tree.