Carpinus Betulus Frans Fountaine
AKA Upright Hornbeam, Hornbeam
Upright Hornbeam, or Carpinus Betulus Frans Fountaine, retains its columnar habit with age, spanning only 3 metres wide after 25 years. Selected from the Netherlands in the 1980s, it’s a useful choice for narrower spaces, growing well in a range of soils including clay and chalk and tolerant of pollution and soil compaction. For these reasons, it is commonly used as a street-side tree, especially close to cities. It has rough, fissured bark at the base of mature trees and crinkly leaves. When mature, it will reach a height of 17-22 metres and spread of 3 to 7 metres.