Carpinus betulus

Neat green lanceolate leaves are held on tight fine twigs until late fall. The easily pruned and upright habit makes this an excellent large screen or formal hedge.

H: 40 Feet  ·   S: 30 Feet  ·   Zone: 4

Carpinus betulus 'Columnaris Nana'

Dwarf Columnar European Hornbeam is an extremely compact narrow little tree, with bright green clean foliage. The habit is very upright and tidy, so it works well in a confined space or near walkways. This is an unusual, hard-to-find plant with a formal, Old World look to it. Deciduous, with yellow to brown fall color.

H: 8 Feet  ·   S: 3 Feet  ·   Zone: 5

Carpinus betulus Emerald Avenue® PP22814

Neat dark green leaves on a tight oval habit, followed by good yellow fall color. A tough, attractive street tree option.

H: 40 Feet  ·   S: 28 Feet  ·   Zone: 5

Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata'

Fastigate European Hornbeam is an excellent tree for urban or formal sites because of its tight, extremely regular form and excellent disease resistance. When young, Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' is narrow and very upright, but it broadens into a dense tight pyramidal oval as it matures. The leaves are neat and relatively small, and since the form never needs pruning, Carpinus is a maintenance-free tree. Even without foliage, the dense branching makes this an excellent screening tree in winter.

H: 40 Feet  ·   S: 25 Feet  ·   Zone: 4

Carpinus betulus 'Frans Fontaine'

'Frans Fontaine' European Hornbeam is more columnar than Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata', but is equally resilient in urban and suburban conditions. The narrower habit makes Carpinus 'Frans Fontaine' a good candidate for narrower spaces or street tree applications. The fall color of the tidy foliage is a clear yellow, and winter interest is provided by the upright, densely branched form. Since all Carpinus varieties are a fall digging hazard, container production makes the planting season much longer.

H: 40 Feet  ·   S: 20 Feet  ·   Zone: 5

Carpinus caroliniana

American Hornbeam is a tough, beautiful native tree which performs well in a wide variety of site conditions. Its green veined leaves and habit look somewhat like American Beech trees, and its interesting 2" hanging winged seed bracts add to its appeal in summer. It performs very well when transplanted from containers, and can be used in full sun or shade locations as well as sites which are periodically flooded. The fall color is attractive, varying from yellow through orange to reddish purple hues. It can be pruned to make a good tight hedge, like its European cousin, C. betulus.

H: 35 Feet  ·   S: 25 Feet  ·   Zone: 3

Carpinus caroliniana Fire King™ PP29969

H: 20 Feet  ·   S: 20 Feet  ·   Zone: 3

Carpinus caroliniana Firespire™

Firespire™ ('J.N. Upright') American Hornbeam offers an exciting new form to this tough native tree. Found in Wisconsin by Mike Yanny of Johnson Nursery, Firespire™ stood out in a block of seedlings for its tight upright habit and beautiful orange red fall color. Hornbeams or Musclewoods are very adaptable natives, so the smaller stature of Firespire™ makes it an especially useful native for small spaces, and urban gardens. The smooth gray bark adds an extra element of beauty in the winter.

H: 20 Feet  ·   S: 10 Feet  ·   Zone: 4

Carpinus caroliniana Rising Fire® PP27655

Neat green serrated foliage is held on a columnar habit. Fall color is shades of orange and red. A good native choice for tall hedges or street trees.

H: 30 Feet  ·   S: 15 Feet  ·   Zone: 4