Many gardeners believe that the hornbeam is an evergreen tree. However, that is a mistake. It was created because the leaves of the hornbeam often hang on the tree until spring. That's why hornbeams and copper beeches offer good privacy protection all year round.
Is a hornbeam evergreen?
The hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is a deciduous deciduous tree and not evergreen. However, it often retains its leaves, which turn brown and dry out in winter, until spring, thereby providing year-round privacy in hedges.
Hornbeams are deciduous deciduous trees
The hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), like the common beech (Fagus silvatica), is a special case among the deciduous deciduous trees. It looks like an evergreen tree because the leaves often remain hanging until spring. The remaining leaves only fall off with new growth in spring.
Leaves don’t fall until spring
The hornbeam begins to sprout in March when the first leaf buds appear on the shoots. Until this point, many of the old leaves are still hanging on the tree.
As soon as the leaf buds begin to open, the previous year's foliage also falls off.
That's why hornbeam is very suitable as a hedge plant
Because of their special nature, hornbeams and copper beeches are very suitable and popular as hedge plants.
Hedges made of common beech or hornbeam form a very good privacy screen even in winter because the leaves, which have now turned brown, are still hanging on the tree.
They are then dried out and no longer nice and green, but that is enough for privacy. Small beneficial garden insects also overwinter in them.
Don't sweep away the leaves, leave them lying around
If the hornbeam loses its leaves in winter and spring, you should not sweep them away, but leave them under the tree or hedge.
The leaves form a mulch that has many benefits:
- Blanket protects against drying out
- prevents weeds from emerging
- Leaves rot and release new nutrients.
However, you can only leave leaves under the hornbeam that are completely he althy. You must dispose of leaves affected by mildew or pests because fungal spores and pests overwinter in them. By removing them, you prevent diseases from spreading further.
Tip
The color of the hornbeam changes constantly throughout the year. Soft green leaves appear in spring, which become a strong medium green in summer. The autumn leaves are bright yellow and hang brown and dry on the hornbeam in winter.