Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus
A deciduous, broadleaf tree native to the UK, hornbeam is very similar to Beech both in looks and habit, even retaining many of its leaves through winter (although it does lose a few more than Beech). Hornbeam has bright green new leaves in spring with deep veins and a serrated edge, which differentiates it from Beech, and these give way to coppery leaves in winter, which are retained by the tree through the colder months.Often confused with beach which has as less serrated leaf and also fruits which lack wings, hornbeam is more tolerant of poor soils and exposed sites than beech, and if your ground lays a little wet in winter for example clay soils, then hornbeam will tolerate this better.These features mean that Hornbeam is perfect for creating high hedges to screen out noise and wind, growing around 20-40cm per year and quickly creating a high privacy screen.As well as creating a border to your garden, hedges are also great for the environment and wildlife, and hornbeam is no different as it provides shelter and food supplies for many animals, especially as it retains its leaves over winter.Supplied as an 80-100 cm plant (inc 3L pot), ready for planting out - potted plants can be planted at any time as long as the ground is not frozen or waterlogged.NB Plants are dormant between October and April and are sent out without leaves.
