European Hornbeam
Arbor walk #74, Treekeeper ID #2259
This adaptive species is often grown as a shield or hedge plant in urban settings, as it grows a thick canopy that extends most of the way to the ground.
The leaves often have distinct ridging and turn bright yellow/orange in fall. The nut-like fruits mature in a similar fashion to beads on a string in October. The Hornbeam, also known as ironwood due to its very strong wood which rarely cracks, is often used to build mallets, wheel cogs, wooden screws and pianos. These trees do extremely well in acidic soils.
| Name | European Hornbeam |
|---|---|
| Latin Name | Carpinus betulus |
| Indigenous Name(s) | |
| Cultivar/Variety | |
| Commercial Name |
Global Distribution
GPS Coordinates
N/A
Percent Concrete
N/A
Distance to Buildings
| Year | Close Building #1 | Close Building #2 | Close Building #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Park House, 45.23 m | Wheeler House, 32.99 m | Shepley House, 46.77 m |
Distance to Other Species
| Year | Close Species #1 | Close Species # 2 | Close Species # 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | River Birch, 6.10 m | European Hornbeam, 4.62 m | European Hornbeam, 5.43 m |
Standard Measurements
| Year | Height (m) | DBH (cm) | Caliper (m) | Crown Diameter N-S (m) | Crown Diameter E-W (m) | Average Crown Diameter (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 7.2286 | 9.2 | N/A | 2.42 | 2.45 | 2.435 |
| 2023 | 7.46 | 10.5 | N/A | 3.35 | 8.7 | 6.025 |
Nests and Pests
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Crown becomes dramatically bare as it goes higher up 1 spider egg sac Some light grey and green lichen and darker green algae |
Leaf Identification
The European Hornbeam has asymmetrical ovate-shaped leaves with serrated margins that are up to 5″ long. They are a dark green and turn a bright yellow/orange color in the fall.
Twig and Bud Identification
The twig is greenish brown with numerous white lenticels (pores) and spread-out long white hairs along the twig reaching the bud. The bud has multiple brown scales, sparse hairs, and is elongated at its tip.
Bark Identification
The European Hornbeam has gray bark with muscle-like fluting.
Fruit Identification
The European Hornbeam has drooping nutlet clusters in 3-lobed bracts that are around 5″ long. They ripen in summer.
[photo forthcoming]
Flower Identification
The European Hornbeam are monoecious. The male flowers have yellow, 1 1/2″ catkins, and the female flowers have greenish, 3″ long catkins. These flowers appear in early spring.
[photo forthcoming]
