Carpinus betulus

Once established, a hornbeam hedge typically grows 30 to 60cm a year, depending on soil and conditions. The first season after planting is mostly spent building roots, and growth picks up from the second year. Watering in dry spells and a weed-free base help it grow at its best.

A hornbeam hedge can be kept from around 1m (3 ft) to 5m (16 ft) or more with regular clipping, and it is often grown at 1.8 to 2m (6 to 6.5 ft) for privacy. Hornbeam is also the classic plant for pleached screens on clear stems, which give height above a lower hedge or planting.

A clipped hornbeam hedge often keeps some of its dry, golden-brown leaves through winter, particularly on young and regularly trimmed plants. It holds them less reliably than beech, so it has a lighter winter look, but it still gives more screening than most deciduous hedges.

Yes. Hornbeam is one of the best hedging plants for heavy clay and damp ground, and it copes with wetter soils than beech. It also grows well on chalk and loam, and tolerates exposed, windy sites and frost pockets.

Hornbeam grows well in full sun and partial shade, and tolerates light shade from nearby trees or buildings. In deep shade it grows more slowly and less densely, so for a heavily shaded boundary yew (Taxus baccata) is a better choice.

The best time to plant a hornbeam hedge is the dormant season, from late autumn to early spring. Bare-root hornbeam is available from roughly November to March, root-balled hornbeam from roughly October or November to March, and pot-grown hornbeam can be planted all year with good watering.

Hornbeam spacing depends on how wide the plants are supplied: divide 100 by the width in centimetres, so plants 50cm wide go in at 2 per metre. Bare-root hornbeam whips are planted more densely, often 5 per metre in a staggered double row or 3 per metre in a single row. The Form Plants team confirms spacing for each order.

Cut an established hornbeam hedge once a year in late summer, around August, for a crisp shape through autumn and winter. Vigorous young hedges can also take a light trim in early summer. Hornbeam regrows readily, so an overgrown hedge can be cut back hard in winter, one side at a time.

Choose hornbeam for heavy clay, damp ground and exposed or windy sites. Choose beech (Fagus sylvatica) for free-draining soils and chalk, the most reliable copper winter leaves and the option of purple foliage. Both are native and clipped once a year in late summer.

The cost of a hornbeam hedge depends on the height you start with, the format and the tier you choose. Value hornbeam plants are younger plants that knit together over a few seasons and suit longer runs on a budget, while Premium plants are fuller and more mature, including ready-made hedge elements for an instant finish. Live prices and sizes are shown at the top of this page, and the team will confirm plant numbers and a full quote for each order.

Yes. You are welcome to visit the Row Town showroom in Surrey, open Monday to Saturday and on bank holidays (closed on Sundays), with no appointment needed. For dedicated one-to-one help choosing plants and working out quantities, book a Genus Bar appointment through our website or email info@formplants.com.

Yes. Our in-house team arranges delivery across Surrey, London, the Home Counties and nationwide, with HIAB or Moffett crane offloading for larger root-balled plants and hedge elements. Delivery is quoted for each order based on its size and location, so send your postcode to info@formplants.com and the team will confirm.