common hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
USDA zones4 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size40 to 60 feet tall30 to 40 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Habit
- Oval
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow (male) and green (female)
- Foliage color
- Gold/yellow, green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is a tree for hedges, privacy screens, specimen planting, and low maintenance gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to wet soil of most types. It grows slowly into an oval shape and can reach 40 to 60 feet tall. The leaves are green, and they turn gold or yellow in fall. Birds visit the tree.
Pairs well with Pin oak, Tree peony, and Big bluestem.
Native range
Europe and Asia.