Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine

Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine is an upright variety of Hornbeam which maintains its tight pyramidal shape well into maturity.

This Hornbeam was selected from a street in the Netherlands in the 1980s and has leaves that are oval in shape, extremely ribbed, and serrated around the edges, taking on an almost crinkly appearance.

The foliage is bright green in spring, turning to gold and orange in the autumn time. Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine is a much better choice for planting in restricted areas than Carpinus betulus Fastigiata as it retains its columnar-shaped crown, being only 3m wide after 25 years.

It tolerates pollution and soil compaction, making it an excellent choice for street tree planting. This medium to large Upright Hornbeam is a tough performer and will do well in most soils, including clay and chalk. It is a good choice for poor soil conditions.

Carpinus betulus Frans Fontaine is a superb selection for avenue planting, producing classic uniformity and architectural shape coupled with a nice show of colour in the autumntime.

The standard specimens are grown with a 1.8-2m clear stem Like its parent it can be a useful selection for screening and the feathered specimens are useful for exactly that. These trees have branches that extend to the base, and when planted at 80-120cm intervals, they can quickly form a dense screen and hedge.

Once planted, the trees can be allowed to grow to the height the hedge is required at and then the leader can be removed, which will encourage it to bush out as a hedge.

When is grown as a hedge, it will retain its golden-brown foliage on the tree well into the wintertime.

Why do some trees hold onto their dead leaves?

Mature height: 17-22m (or as tall as it is pruned)