Species · Deciduous trees like maple and elm
European hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
European hornbeam builds fine, dense ramification readily and carries smooth, fluted, muscular-looking bark that is a large part of its appeal as a trunk matures. It backbuds well after a hard prune, making it a reliable choice for building a broom or upright silhouette over a decade or two.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Check daily in growing season; keep evenly moist. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 1 in summer, 2 in autumn and 5 in winter.
- Light
- Full sun to light shade.
- Winter
- Fully hardy; a strong, forgiving trunk-builder. Protect it when the forecast drops below -18 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 14 days, Apr to Sep, paused in the hottest weeks.
- Repotting
- Every 2 to 3 years, as buds swell, in Mar.
- Growth
- Moderate growth. Hardy in zones 4 to 8.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Jun | Jul | ||||||||||
| Wire | Jan | Feb | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||||||
| Pinch | May | Jun | Jul | |||||||||
| Defoliate | Jun |