Hornbeam - Carpinus betulus

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Description

Tree to 25 metres. Leaves oval, pointed looking somewhat pleated and sharply toothed. Catkins greenish to 5 cm borne with the leaves. Fruit in pendent clusters surrounded by three lobed bracts; small nuts.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Woods and hedgerows.

When to see it

In flower - April and May.

Life History

Deciduous - Many local specimens may be the result of unrecorded planting.

UK Status

Mainly found in south-east England and East Anglia, though also occasional elsewhere.

VC55 Status

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 70 of the 617 tetrads.

  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    09 July 2007
    three lobed leafy bracts
  • David Nicholls
    Fosse Meadows
    21 May 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    19 April 2009
    flower
  • David Nicholls
    Fosse Meadows
    21 May 2014
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby
    03 March 2023
  • David Gould
    Croft Glebe
    10 August 2012
    mature tree

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Hornbeam
Species group:
Trees, Shrubs & Climbers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Fagales
Family:
Betulaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
93
First record:
09/07/2007 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
17/11/2023 (Graves, Hazel)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    25 May 2017
  • David Nicholls
    Millenium Green, Glenfield
    14 July 2018
  • David Nicholls
    High Cross
    29 April 2021
  • Steve Mathers
    West Beacon Fields
    07 November 2016
  • stepgray4
    Burbage Common and Woods
    02 May 2021
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    04 April 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Near Cosby Library
    12 April 2016
  • Graham Calow
    Footpath near High Cross
    05 April 2016
  • Graham Calow
    Witherley
    27 May 2015
  • stepgray4
    Burbage Common and Woods
    02 May 2021
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    04 October 2009
    seeds - pair of nuts
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    08 October 2017
  • Graham Calow
    Witherley
    27 May 2015
    seeds
  • Mark Skevington
    Whetstone
    11 November 2021
  • Alan Semper
    Harby, nature reserve
    31 August 2012