Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) Trees/Hedging Plants in 5 litre deep pots.
Hornbeam is famously tough and resiliant as a hedge or a tree. It forms a dense, formal hedge that can act as a reliable windbreak or, as a tree, adds structure to a woodland setting or for creating avenues of trees.
Although Hornbeam is deciduous, when trimmed in mid-to-late summer, it holds onto a large portion of its rich, coppery-brown foliage right through the winter, providing valuable year-round privacy and shelter for garden wildlife before bursting into vibrant, bright green growth every spring.
Growth Rate: Medium to fast – approx. 45-60cm (18"-2ft) per year.
Soil Compatibility: Exceptionally tolerant of all soils including heavy clay, damp soils, and semi-shade (unlike Beech, which demands sharp drainage).
Ultimate Height: Easily maintained from 1m up to 5m+ as a hedge. Will grow to over 15-30m (50-100ft) as a tree if left untrimmed.
Hardiness: Fully hardy across the UK (RHS H7).
Technical Specifications & Planting Guide
Plant & Pot Dimensions
Plant Height: These Hornbeam plants are currently between 100 and 125cm tall (3'3"-4'2").
Pot Size: 5-Litre Deep Pot (Approximately 17cm square top x 19cm deep). A deeper pot ensures a robust, untangled, and deeply established root system for a higher success rate after planting.
How We Measure: We measure our plants exclusively from the top of the pot to the top of the growth. The height you purchase is the true height of the plant you receive—we never include the pot in our measurements.
Ground Preparation & Planting Holes
To give your new Hornbeam hedge the absolute best start, correct ground preparation is essential:
The Planting Hole: Dig a hole at least 35cm square by 20cm deep to comfortably accommodate the 5L root ball.
Soil preparation: Use a fork or spade to dig over the soil in the bottom of the hole for a further 30cm. Loosening this subsoil allows the roots of the Hornbeam to establish quickly and access moisture and nutrients in the soil for quicker growth.
Planting & Spacing Advice
For a Dense, Formal Hedge: We recommend planting 3 to 5 plants per metre. Space them in a single row for a sleek boundary, or a staggered double row for an incredibly thick, secure screen.
For Woodlands & Coppices: If you are planting them to grow as individual specimen trees, small coppices, or a native woodland layout, space them up to 5 metres apart.
Delivery Information
Minimum order – £150 of plants (excluding delivery charge) – or you can collect from Greenshutters Garden Centre, near Taunton in Somerset.
Delivery charge – this will depend on your postcode and how many plants you would like delivered. We keep the cost of our plants as low as possible and charge below what it costs us to get them to you. We deliver in pallets (not boxes). Just add your plants to your cart and proceed through the checkout process where delivery charge will be calculated. See our delivery page for more information.
Fast & Flexible: Dispatched swiftly with delivery within 1 to 5 working days.
You Choose the Date: For your convenience, you can select your preferred delivery date directly during the checkout process. While we partner with highly reliable couriers, unpredictable transit delays can occasionally happen. We strongly recommend choosing a delivery date a couple of days before your planned planting day to ensure your Hornbeam trees are safely on-site and ready when you are.