Carpinus betulus
Hornbeam
Hobich, Wäissbuch
Charme
Hainbuche

Size:
The hornbeam only grows about 20 m tall and hardly gets older than 150 years. The tree forms a dense crown and develops a smooth, grey bark.

Leaf: 
Hornbeam leaves are 4-10 cm long and sharply double serrated. They often give the impression that they have not yet unfolded properly.

Flower/fruit: 
The female and male flower catkins appear with the leaves. The fruits are winged nutlets that usually hang in eight pairs one above the other.

Wood: 
Hornbeam is the hardest and heaviest of our native woods. In former times it was used to make vehicle and machine parts such as axles, wood screws etc.. The name hornbeam comes from the light colour of the wood, which hardly shows any annual rings.

Trivia/Use: 
The hornbeam is found in our forests on the heavier soils associated with the English oak, under whose light shade it has good growing conditions. As it does not grow as high, it does not form its own stands. The "tension-backed" trunk of the hornbeam is unmistakable, the surface of the trunk appears wavy and slightly grooved lengthwise. The hornbeam is extremely tolerant of pruning and is therefore an important topiary tree in horticulture.