Heartleaf Hornbeam Carpinus cordata
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Distegocarpus cordatus
- Phonetic Spelling
- kar-PINE-us kor-DAY-tah
- Description
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Hornbeam is a great choice as a graceful understory tree as it tolerates shade well. You can find it in woodland gardens, as a street tree or it can be pruned into a hedge and used as a privacy screen.
Site: Prefers light shade to full shade though it tolerates full sun. Moist, well-drained organically rich soil but tolerates a range of soil types
Form: Rounded; densely branched
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems though cankers, leaf spots and twig blight occasionally occur.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Carpinus
- Species:
- cordata
- Family:
- Betulaceae
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- SW. Primorye, China, Korea, Japan
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 12 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6b, 6a, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- 3-5 in. cigar-shaped seed pods
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Description:
- Insignificant
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Leaf Margin:
- Doubly Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 2.5-5.5 in. heart-shaped doubly serrate dark green leaves with prominant veins; yellow to non-showy fall color. The specices name cordata refers to the heart-shaped leaf bases. Leaves remain attractive all growing season.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Patchy
- Ridges
- Bark Description:
- Gray, fluted scaly fissured bark
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Shade Garden
- Design Feature:
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Street Tree
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Heavy Shade
