Side by side
Hornbeam or hop-hornbeam? How to tell them apart
Carpinus betulus · Ostrya carpinifolia
How to tell them apart – hornbeam: smooth, ‘muscular’ trunk and nutlets on three-lobed winged bracts; hop-hornbeam: looks like a hornbeam, but with fruit clusters resembling hops and rough, flaking bark.
How do you recognise them?
- Hornbeam
- Sharply double-toothed leaf, pleated between the veins; grey, ‘muscular’ trunk.
- Compared with hop-hornbeam: smooth, ‘muscular’ trunk and nutlets on three-lobed winged bracts.
- Hop-hornbeam
- Looks like a hornbeam, but with fruit clusters resembling hops and rough, flaking bark.
| Hornbeam | Hop-hornbeam | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, oval and pointed, 5–10 cm, sharply double-toothed, with 10–15 pairs of parallel veins between which the leaf is pleated. | Alternate, 5–10 cm, oval with a pointed tip, sharply double-toothed, with 11–15 pairs of parallel veins. |
| Flowering | April–May | Hanging male catkins in April; they are visible all winter at the tips of the twigs (April–May). |
| Fruit | Nutlets on a three-lobed wing, in hanging clusters. | Hanging clusters 3–5 cm long of white, bladder-like bracts, each enclosing a nutlet, like hops. |
| Bark | Grey and smooth, with twisting ridges as if there were muscles underneath. Buds pointed and pressed against the twig. | Grey-brown; on older trees in narrow, loose flakes. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 15–25 m, often as a hedge | Broadleaf tree, 10–20 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for butterflies and birds | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | June–September and November–February | November–February |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Hornbeam is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
- Hornbeam (15–25 m) and hop-hornbeam (10–20 m) both grow into large trees: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Hornbeam
- Plant profile: Hop-hornbeam
- Hornbeam: when and how to prune
- Hop-hornbeam: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.