Leaf
Annick Larbouillat, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Common hornbeam
Carpinus betulus L.
Also known as: European hornbeam, Hornbeam
Family: Betulaceae
15 to 25 m tall
Lowland forests, often in the understorey or as a clipped hedge
Flowering: April – May
Full sun
Part shade
Shade
-30°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Characteristic trunk with visible 'muscles', fluted and twisted. Hornbeam: leaf margin distinctly toothed, very prominent veins and fluted grey bark. Beech: margin almost entire to very slightly wavy, with fine hairs on the edge of young leaves, and smooth grey bark. The margin is a particularly useful criterion.
🍃 Leaves
Alternate, ovate to oblong, with many very prominent parallel veins and a doubly toothed margin; the blade is often strongly pleated.
🌸 Flowers
Inconspicuous catkins
🍎 Fruits
Small achene carried by a three-lobed bract
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth but fluted, trunk often twisted
🗺️ Distribution
Temperate Europe, Asia Minor; very common in France, notably in woodland understorey and lowlands
🐝 Value for pollinators
Catkins producing pollen in spring, moderate value for bees
✂️ Horticultural uses
Widely used as a clipped hedge (charmille) thanks to its marcescent leaves, also for topiary and avenue planting
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity
🌱 Known cultivars
Fastigiata (syn. Pyramidalis)
Columnar then very regularly oval habit, needing no pruning to keep its shape; one of the most widely used urban avenue trees in France.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Common hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
European beech
Fagus sylvatica
Hornbeam: leaf margin distinctly toothed, very prominent veins and fluted grey bark. Beech: margin almost entire to very slightly wavy, with fine hairs on the edge of young leaves, and smooth grey bark. The margin is a particularly useful criterion.
🌿 Other Betulaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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