Heartleaf Hornbeam

Family Betulaceae. In nature it grows in the understory of shady, mixed forests of the southern Primorsky Krai, China, Japan, and Korea. Protected in reserves. It grows in the understory of coniferous-broadleaf forests, in the foothills up to 250-300 m.

A beautiful and very distinctive deciduous tree up to 15 m high, highly desirable for landscaping, ornamental with delicate, almost translucent foliage in the sun and with distinctive fruits. The heartleaf hornbeam is very good in composition groups with coniferous species. The crown is spreading, low-hanging, very dense. The bark is silvery-gray, deeply fissured. Young shoots and petioles of the leaves are initially hairy, then glabrous, with numerous lenticels. The leaves are ovate or oblong-ovate, acute and narrowly cordate at the base, up to 12 cm long, the margin unevenly doubly serrate. In spring and summer the leaves are light green, in autumn reddish or pale rust-colored. Male catkins up to 8 cm long, on densely hairy stalks. Fruiting catkins strongly resemble hop cones, green, dense, pendulous, up to 25 cm long. The fruit is a dark-brown nutlet.

Not demanding regarding soils; the root system is shallow and heavily branched, which provides good wind resistance. Tolerates deep shade, developing a wide-spreading low crown. It does not form a straight trunk and by about 50 years begins to develop dead tops. In favorable conditions it can live up to 200 years. Wind-resistant. Grows slowly, tolerates pruning and transplanting well. Easily propagated by seeds and layers, by root suckers, and can form an almost impenetrable living hedge. In cultivation since 1879.

based on materials from the website www.flower.onego.ru