Hornbeams are called “the toughest trees on the block” in the Tree Issue of Digger Magazine. Gracing the cover is Emerald Avenue® Hornbeam, our own unique selection of European Hornbeam. Introduced in 2011, it is performing well in a variety of landscapes across the continent and may well prove to be the toughest of the bunch.
Over the years, Hornbeams have proven to be excellent urban trees, according to JFS New Plant Development Manager Guy Meacham. He’s among several Oregon growers and arborists interviewed for the article.
“They’re very resilient, they can take pollution, and they’re a good city tree,” Meacham said. “They don’t suffer from too many disease problems.” Always on the lookout for seedlings with improved characteristics for potential introduction, he believes there is room for improvement over cultivars already in the marketplace.
Although the Carpinus betulus cultivars ‘Fastigiata’ and ‘Frans Fontaine’ are traditionally favored for urban landscapes, planting of the native American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) has become more prevalent.
In fact, American Hornbeam, commonly called Musclewood, was named 2022 Tree of the Year by the Society of Municipal Arborists, now known as the Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS). The article in the January 2022 issue of City Trees is archived on their website and contains many interesting facts about the species. Two of our introductions, Native Flame® and Rising Fire®, are gaining recognition as excellent landscape trees.
Descriptions of our introductions are followed by descriptions of three popular and time-tested European hornbeam cultivars. All are currently available to our wholesale customers, and many can be found in the garden centers of JFS customers identified in our Retailer Locator.
Emerald Avenue® Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus ‘JFS-KW1CB’ PP22814
Nicknamed “The Hulk” during its evaluation years because of its vigorous growth, strong central leader and sturdy structure, this Zone 5 tree is easy to care for, fast-growing, and impressive on the street. Praised in The Tree Book (Timber Press, 2019) as “ideal for street use, with better branch angles and spacing than ‘Fastigiata’,” authors Dirr and Warren note that its “trunk is stout and branch structure is particularly well formed,” and declare it “a standout for its rich green foliage in the heat and dryness of late summer.”
Introduced in 2011, Emerald Avenue® Hornbeam has proven more heat tolerant than other cultivars of the species, maintaining healthy deep green foliage when others look tired during the dog days of summer. Handsome leaves are strongly textured and durable and turn buttery yellow in autumn.
Though not as tightly columnar in youth as the better-known Pyramidal European Hornbeam, both mature to a similar height and spread, with Emerald Avenue® becoming a slightly larger tree. Broadly pyramidal to oval in shape, it grows to a height and spread of approximately 40’ x 28’.
Native Flame® American Hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana ‘JFS-KW6’
Our 2011 introduction brings predictable form and consistently bright fall color to this handsome and adaptable native species. Selected for strong upright growth and oval form, Native Flame® sports dark green leaves through the summer months. Come autumn, they turn consistently bright red-orange and put on quite a show. Unlike trees grown from seed, its leaves drop cleanly rather than turning brown and clinging to their branches through the winter months. Hardy through USDA Zone 5, it combines the graceful informality of a native with the brilliant and predictable colors of a modern cultivar. Mature height and spread are approximately 30’ x 20’.
Rising Fire® American Hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana ‘Uxbridge’
A distinctive columnar shape, vigorous growth habit, cold hardiness and bright fall color are among attributes of this relatively new cultivar of American Hornbeam. Originating as a standout seedling growing at Uxbridge Nursery in Ontario, Canada, the unusual tree was set aside for observation by owner Harry Worsley. After several years, he sent scion wood to us for propagation, trialing and observation.
Co-introduced in 2017, it is living up to, and exceeding our expectations as it gains market acceptance and fills an important niche in the urban forestry and landscape planting palette. Its lively mix of bright red and orange fall colors and distinctive columnar form offer a new look for this popular and widely adaptable North American native species. Its Canadian origin promises good cold hardiness through USDA Zone 4. Height and spread are approximately 30’ x 20’.
Pyramidal European Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’
A stalwart performer on the street, this widely adaptable shade tree lends a formal look to boulevard and park plantings. Tightly columnar in youth, it widens with age to a height and spread of about 35’ x 25’. Symmetrical and formal in appearance, it is easily sheared and makes an excellent all-season screen, thanks to its dense, twiggy branch habit.
Heat and drought resistance, tolerance of urban air pollution, and adaptability to wet soils recommend Pyramidal Hornbeam for challenging planting sites. Shade tolerance makes it a good choice for urban canyons where the shadows of tall buildings limit direct sunlight.
Frans Fontaine Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine’
Handsomely corrugated leaves hold their deep green color through the heat of summer and turn to rich yellow in autumn. Very narrow in youth, Frans Fontaine retains its slender form as it matures to a height and spread of about 35’ x 15’. Drought tolerant once established, it is adaptable to varied growing conditions and performs well in acid as well as alkaline soils. A top choice for creating a formal alleé or a tall narrow hedge for screening unwanted views.
Lucas Columnar Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus ‘Lucas’
Popular in Europe and increasingly recognized as the narrowest of the C. betulus cultivars, this relative newcomer is becoming more widely grown and available in the North American nursery trade. Maturing to an approximate height and spread of 30’ x 10’, its densely columnar form stays considerably narrower than the widely planted ‘Fastigiata’.
Thick, dark green, durable leaves turn golden yellow in autumn and then mature to brown, providing visual screening and winter interest as they persist through the dormant season. Tolerant of high pH and heavy soils, these tough trees can be tightly sheared to form a narrow hedge or privacy screen.
Gardeners! Please note that our nursery is strictly wholesale. To purchase these and other trees grown by our nursery, please use our Retailer Locator to find sources of JFS trees near you.
