Hornbeam

Recognizing hornbeam

Hornbeam is recognized by:

• Its fluted gray muscular trunks. Its gray bark, which is smooth while young.
• Its alternate deciduous leaves, with their serrated edge and deeply furrowed surface.
• Its fruits (achenes), which grow in clusters
• Its catkins that hang down in bunches

Sites favored by hornbeam

Temperatures

Average annual temperature of 10°C. The hornbeam likes light or semi-shade. It likes hot summers but does not appreciate a drought.

Rainfall

Average annual rainfall of at least 800 mm. Can still be affected by hydromorphy.

Soils

Hornbeam likes fresh, damp clayey and/or silty soils. It will thrive on chalk soils but does not do very well in acidic or hydromorphic soils. It is found up to 1,300 m altitude.

Root development of the hornbeam

• Shallow, running root development.
• Vulnerable to strong winds.

Growth and production of hornbeam

• Quite slow

Hornbeam plantation

Hornbeam is not planted as part of a single species plantation. There are very few pure hornbeam forests in France.

It is mainly found in coppices with standards, especially oak or beech (oak-hornbeam forests, or beech-hornbeam forests) due to its small size: it rarely exceeds 20 meters high. It is thus often found in mixed forests.

Otherwise, this species is very popular in gardens, where it is often planted as a tree tunnel or hedge. In this case, the plants are spaced 30 cm to 1 meter apart. Once the hornbeam hedge has developed, the new shoots simply need trimming to keep the hedge shape.

Hornbeam wood

• Light white wood.
• Very hard, heavy wood (one of the hardest deciduous trees).
• Sawing can be difficult because of the wood’s hardness.
• Marked veining.
• The best deciduous firewood.
• Used in joinery, for parquet flooring, decoration and toys.
• Trade name: Hornbeam

Hornbeam health

Not affected by any major disease.