Why hornbeam hedging?
Hornbeam hedging is a more quicker growing than beech, so if you are looking to grow taller hedging it can be a good option as the results will come quicker, it retains it leaf during the winter months to give a semi-evergreen hedge and it can form a good dense hedge which is also popularly used to form pleached trees for high screening up to 4-5m high. Its a hardy plant which can grow in a range of soils to quickly establish and become less vulnerable to the elements.
What is hornbeam hedging like?
Carpinus are semi-evergreen trees with attractive foliage and hop-like fruit clusters in late summer and autumn.
Similar in appearance to Fagus sylvatica, Carpinus makes a superb specimen tree or hedging plant, although it is semi-evergreen, it retains its coppery dead leaves throughout the winter so it remains an effective screen. Leaves ovate, ribbed and finely serrate, turning yellow in autumn. Fruiting catkins conspicuous, to 8cm in length.
This type of hedging plant can act as a semi-evergreen hedge.