• Photo of Carpinus cordata (Carpinus cordatas)

Plant Profile: Carpinus cordata

Names

Bigleaf Hornbeam, Heartleaf Hornbeam, Horbeam

  • Photo of Carpinus cordata (Carpinus cordatas)

Phonetic Spelling:kar-PINE-us kor-DAY-tah

Genus:Carpinus

Species:cordata

Family:Betulaceae

Hornbeam makes an excellent choice for a graceful understory tree due to its ability to thrive in shaded environments. It is commonly found in woodland gardens, utilized as a street tree, or shaped into a hedge for privacy purposes.

**Site Requirements:** This tree prefers light to full shade but can also withstand full sun. It flourishes in moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, although it is adaptable to various soil types.

**Form:** The hornbeam typically has a rounded shape with dense branching.

**Pests and Diseases:** While it generally faces no significant issues, it may occasionally experience problems such as cankers, leaf spots, and twig blight.

Carpinus cordata Feature Summary

Carpinus cordata Image Gallery

Tags

#deciduous
#shade garden
#low maintenance
#understory tree
#street tree
#hedges
#privacy
#attractive leaves
#heavy shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Carpinus cordata Feature Summary

Attributes
SW. Primorye, China, Korea, Japan
Fruit
3-5 in. cigar-shaped seed pods
> 3 inches
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Catkin
Leaves
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.
Green
Gold/Yellow
Doubly Serrate
3-6 inches
Bark
Gray, fluted scaly fissured bark
Dark Gray
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Good Drainage
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Shade Garden
Hedge
Screen/Privacy
Street Tree

Carpinus cordata Attributes

Carpinus cordata: Country Or Region Of Origin

SW. Primorye, China, Korea, Japan

Carpinus cordata Fruit

Carpinus cordata: Fruit Description

3-5 in. cigar-shaped seed pods

Carpinus cordata: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Carpinus cordata Flowers

Carpinus cordata: Flower Description

Insignificant

Carpinus cordata: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Green

Carpinus cordata: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Carpinus cordata Leaves

Carpinus cordata: 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.

Carpinus cordata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Carpinus cordata: Leaf Color

spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Green

Carpinus cordata: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Gold/Yellow

Carpinus cordata: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Carpinus cordata: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Carpinus cordata: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Carpinus cordata: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Carpinus cordata Bark

Carpinus cordata: Bark Description

Gray, fluted scaly fissured bark

Carpinus cordata: Bark Color

grass
Dark Gray

Carpinus cordata: Surface/Attachment

Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy

Carpinus cordata Whole Plant Traits

Carpinus cordata: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Carpinus cordata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Carpinus cordata: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Carpinus cordata: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Carpinus cordata: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Carpinus cordata: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Carpinus cordata Cultural Conditions

Carpinus cordata: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
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)

Carpinus cordata: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Carpinus cordata: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Carpinus cordata: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Carpinus cordata: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Carpinus cordata Stem

Carpinus cordata: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Carpinus cordata Landscape

Carpinus cordata: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Carpinus cordata: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Carpinus cordata: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Carpinus cordata: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland