Hornbeam tree

Hornbeam is a tree from the birch family with a life expectancy of up to 300 years. During this time, it can grow up to 30 meters in height, while its trunk diameter is not large, within 40 cm.It grows practically on the entire continental part of Europe, distributed in Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the Iranian highlands. It grows slowly, preferring deciduous forests. Sometimes you can find clean plantations, and in the Transcaucasus, it rises to a height of 2000 meters and higher.

Hornbeam belongs to monoecious plants. It blooms in April-May with male and female flowers in the form of earrings. Fruiting in September-October. The fruits are small brown, shiny nuts, 3-6 mm in size. One kilogram of harvested nuts can contain from 30 to 35 thousand small nuts.

Has a very hard, abrasion-resistant wood. In the process of growth, the trunk of the hornbeam is bent and becomes unsuitable for construction, but nevertheless, its wood has been highly valued since ancient times. It was used in foundry, blacksmithing and jewelry. The wood of this tree gives a smokeless flame, which allowed it to be used in bakeries and pottery workshops. Its strong and durable wood has been used and is still used to make handles for various tools, hatchets, and various combs. At the moment, a billiard cue, cutting boards, flooring, parquet, all kinds of machines and other everyday items are produced from it.

Despite the fact that the hornbeam is strong and durable, it quickly loses its characteristics without additional external protection. At the same time, it is very easy to paint and process with other protective chemicals.

Leaves and especially young shoots of this tree can be fed to livestock. The bark is used in tanning skins, and essential oils are extracted from the leaves, which are used in modern cosmetology. The hornbeam is used to produce oil that can be used in cooking.

This tree was not ignored by medicine either. Hornbeam bark and leaves contain a large proportion of tannins, aldehydes, gallic and caffeic acids, bioflavonoids, coumarins, essential oils and ascorbic acid. The fruit contains vegetable fats. In case of improper circulation and neoplasia of the brain, infusions from the flowers of this tree are used. Young shoots are an integral part of the medicinal collection used for infertility and complications during pregnancy. In the same way, an infusion of leaves is used for diarrhea. The sap of this tree contains a lot of sugar and organic substances.

He is assigned truly miraculous properties: according to esotericists, he is able to influence the thoughts of a person, and his tree encourages the right actions and deeds. Leaning against the trunk of a tree can be energized and remain vigorous and energetic for a long time.

Hornbeam propagates by seeds, but can propagate by cuttings and branches. Seeds are sown immediately after they are harvested in the fall, but you can also the next year. Seeds keep well in paper or plastic bags for 2-3 years. In this case, some preparation must be done before landing.For this purpose, they are kept at a temperature of + 20 ° C for 15-60 days, and then at a temperature of 1-10 ° C for 90-120 days. After that, the seeds can be sown immediately or germinated at a temperature of + 20 ° C. In this case, guaranteed seedlings will be obtained. Cuttings take root very quickly. The hornbeam is quite resistant to diseases and pests.

Hornbeam is not whimsical to lighting conditions: it can grow well both in open areas and in the shade. But he is picky about the soil and prefers well-fertilized soil with sufficient moisture. Frost-resistant and wind-resistant, perfectly adapts to urban conditions. It can tolerate a lack of moisture, but during very dry periods requires constant watering.

Hornbeam varieties

There are more than 30 species of this plant in the world, most of which are common in Asia. Europe boasts only two views, while Russia only three. Common types include:

Hornbeam Caucasian. It is widely popularized in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Iran, and the Crimea. This tree is about 5 meters high, but you can find specimens even higher. You can often find whole thickets of the Caucasian hornbeam - hornbeams. It often grows in the neighborhood of oak, beech and chestnut.

Hornbeam Primorsky (heart-leaved). It has leaves that look like a heart at the base, which is why it got its name. This tree with a height of about 10-20 meters can be found in the South-East of Primorsky Territory, Korea, China and Japan. Here they prefer the area at the foot of the mountains with heights from 200 to 300 meters and occupy the second tier of mixed shady forests. Insanely beautiful and unique deciduous tree.

Hornbeam Karolinsky. Its habitat is the east of North America. Here it can be found near river banks and on the outskirts of swamps. Its height can reach 5-6 meters, and the trunk diameter is 150 mm. Very often you can find the bushy form of the Karolinska hornbeam.

Hornbeam Virginia. One of the subspecies of the Karolinska hornbeam and grows in the southeast of North America. You can also find bushy forms of this species with a bush height of about 4 meters and a crown with a diameter of about 400 cm. This tree is widely used in landscape design. Due to the fact that it grows slowly, it is able to maintain its decorative shape for a long time: from round to square or pyramidal-trapezoidal. It tolerates haircuts and transplants very well. By planting this plant, you can easily form decorative hedges or living sculptures, as well as create whole landscape paintings.

Among the types of common hornbeam, several decorative forms can be noted:

• Pyramidal. This tree has a narrow pyramidal crown.
• Columnar. Has a narrow, columnar crown.
• Weeping. The crown has the shape of a weeping willow with thin branches.
• Cutout. It has narrow, holly-lobed leaves.
• Oak-leaved. It has deep-leaved broad-toothed leaves.
• Purple. After blooming, the leaves immediately turn purple, and then turn green.