Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) hedge plants have mid-green foliage with deep veins and distinctive serrated edges. Turning coppery-brown in autumn, the leaves hold on to bare branches throughout the winter providing some year-round cover and colour. Catkins appear in late spring which develop into small fruits, feeding hungry birds. Hornbeam hedging makes a wonderful formal feature and is equally attractive when combined with other native hedging plants in a mixed display.
Best Features: Year-round interest, bright spring foliage
Ideal For Hedges: 1m - 5m high
Growth Rate: Average to Fast | 30-60cm a year
Position: Any normal soil, sun or partial shade, exposed inland and coastal
* Please note, 1 bare root = 1 Hornbeam plant, not a bundle of plants. We use a mixture of bare root photos taken in leaf from our growing sites in summer, as well as during the bare root planting season when Hornbeam may be defoliated.
Root:
Pot Grown
Root Type:
10 Litre Pot
Height Now:
150/180cm
Hornbeam hedge plants
1+
£39.59£32.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
10+
£39.59£32.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
50+
£38.99£32.49(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
100+
£38.39£31.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
250+
£37.79£31.49(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
In stock | In Stock | Min. Order Requirement Of £200 ex VAT | Delivered Within 3-7 Working Days
Root:
Pot Grown
Root Type:
10 Litre Pot
Height Now:
175/200cm
Hornbeam hedge plants
1+
£47.99£39.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
10+
£47.99£39.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
50+
£47.39£39.49(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
100+
£46.79£38.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
250+
£46.19£38.49(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
In stock | In Stock | Min. Order Requirement Of £200 ex VAT | Delivered Within 3-7 Working Days
Root:
Pot Grown
Root Type:
40 Litre Pot
Height Now:
H 100 x 50 x 50cm
Hornbeam hedge plants
1+
£131.99£109.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
10+
£129.59£107.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
50+
£127.19£105.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
100+
£124.79£103.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
250+
£119.99£99.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
In stock | In Stock | Min. Order Requirement Of £200 ex VAT | Delivered Within 3-7 Working Days
Root:
Pot Grown
Root Type:
40 Litre Pot
Height Now:
H 125 x 50 x 50cm
Hornbeam hedge plants
1+
£143.99£119.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
10+
£140.39£116.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
50+
£136.79£113.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
100+
£134.39£111.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
250+
£131.99£109.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
In stock | In Stock | Min. Order Requirement Of £200 ex VAT | Delivered Within 3-7 Working Days
Root:
Instant
Root Type:
40 Litre Pot
Height Now:
H 150 x 50 x 50cm
Hornbeam hedge plants
1+
£110.39£91.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
10+
£109.19£90.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
50+
£107.99£89.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
100+
£106.79£88.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
250+
£105.59£87.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
In stock | In Stock | Min. Order Requirement Of £200 ex VAT | Delivered Within 3-7 Working Days
Root:
Instant
Root Type:
40 Litre Pot
Height Now:
H 175 x 50 x 50cm
Hornbeam hedge plants
1+
£124.79£103.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
10+
£123.59£102.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
50+
£122.39£101.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
100+
£121.19£100.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
250+
£119.99£99.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
In stock | In Stock | Min. Order Requirement Of £200 ex VAT | Delivered Within 3-7 Working Days
Root:
Instant
Root Type:
40 Litre Pot
Height Now:
H 200 x 50 x 50cm
Hornbeam hedge plants
1+
£143.99£119.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
10+
£142.79£118.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
50+
£141.59£117.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
100+
£140.39£116.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
250+
£139.19£115.99(ex VAT)(inc VAT)
In stock | In Stock | Min. Order Requirement Of £200 ex VAT | Delivered Within 3-7 Working Days
Carpinus betulus is a hardy, native plant with glossy, crinkly leaves that turn to copper brown in the autumn and then hang on to the branches long into winter, providing year-round cover and seasonal interest. Hornbeam hedge plants boast green catkins which develop into fruits that wildlife, such as birds, adore. As a native species, Hornbeam hedging provides a wonderful habitat for wildlife, giving this stunning hedge additional interest. Carpinus betulus is a great choice for positions struggling with poor soils such as clay and chalk. Whilst similar in many ways to Beech hedging, Hornbeam hedge plants are better suited to wetter soils and its winter leaves display a wider variety of dark, attractive tones. The name ‘Hornbeam’ is derived from Old English which means ‘hard tree’ and it is certainly a durable and resilient hedging species.
Best uses for Hornbeam hedging
Hornbeam hedge plants clip beautifully, so it works well as a formal display. Equally, Hornbeam can be grown in a mixed native hedgerow to achieve colourful winter interest. A hardy variety, Carpinus betulus hedging is suited to wet sites, shade and exposure. The dense foliage makes an effective privacy screen, can help to minimise noise pollution and act as a natural windbreak.
Combine Carpinus betulus with
Your Hornbeam hedge plants can either be grown as a stand-alone shrub or combined with other native hedging varieties for a variety of seasonal interest, including; flowers, berries and vibrant autumn foliage.
Hornbeam hedge growth rate
Carpinus betulus will achieve an average growth of 20-40cm a year and is perfect to maintain at a height measuring anywhere between 1.5 - 5m.
Care advice for Hornbeam Hedge Plants
Hornbeam hedging requires a trim once a year, in mid-late summer to encourage lasting winter foliage cover. Please view our Hedging Care Advice page for more information.
Suggested planting density for Carpinus betulus hedges
For information on planting density specific to Hornbeam hedge plants, please see the product table below. In the 'No. Per Metre' column, you will find our recommended plant density for each individual plant species and root type. You can find out more about planting density here.
Our cell grown, pot grown and instant Hornbeam hedge plants are available year-round. We also offer Carpinus betulus as bare roots from November - mid/late May, using cold stored plants towards the end of the season. Bare roots are available to pre-order from mid-summer.
Nearly all of our Carpinus betulus hedging plants are UK grown by experts who have years of nursery growing knowledge. On the rare occasion that we source Hornbeam hedge plants from outside of the UK, we ensure that our suppliers cannot be beaten on quality. At Best4hedging, we strive to make certain that your plants are delivered in the freshest condition and that they are of the highest quality, whilst protecting our terrific prices. You can purchase your Hornbeam hedge plants online, safe in the knowledge that you are receiving both reliable service and the very best products.
A quality hornbeam hedge with excellent information and support, made the job very easy
February 13, 2021 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
Very fast and plants all arrived in great shape.
February 10, 2021 | Hester Collins
Hornbeam hedge plants
As Above
February 5, 2021 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
As everything else I’ve bought, excellently
January 19, 2021 | Hannah Timberlake
Hornbeam hedge plants
Lovely bare root hedging plants, well packaged and came in good time from orderHave put them in the ground and hoping they will grow into a lovely hedge
January 14, 2021 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
Exactly what I needed and the correct height. Bare root plants good price and fabulous service
January 10, 2021 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
As Above
January 3, 2021 | Richard James
Hornbeam hedge plants
Great hedging in top condition ready to plant
January 1, 2021 | Pierino Algieri
Hornbeam hedge plants
Look very good, strong roots, can't say anymore as they have just been planted
December 31, 2020 | Gavin W
Hornbeam hedge plants
Planted but not seen results yet
December 27, 2020 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
5* service plants are well priced and good value
December 23, 2020 | Martin Beattie
Hornbeam hedge plants
Exactly what I ordered and delivered in the timeframe expected
December 22, 2020 | Peter Jewell
Hornbeam hedge plants
Excellent
December 8, 2020 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
Excellent
November 27, 2020 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
The service was efficient and the plants were good quality.
November 25, 2020 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
Good
November 22, 2020 | Vanessa Chenery
Hornbeam hedge plants
All look healthy and most have good roots.
November 20, 2020 | Anonymous
Hornbeam hedge plants
Excellent company would recommend. 100%.
Delivery Cost
Free Delivery - The majority of orders over the minimum order values shown below are delivered FREE to UK Mainland. (Exceptions apply - see Delivery Areas)
All Costs & Min. Order Shown as ex VAT
Min. Order Free Delivery
Bare Root
Root Ball
Pot Grown & Topiary
Cell Grown
Instant Trough
Trees
Planting Essentials
Standard Delivery £9.95
£85
Height Under 1.2m
-
Pot Size Up To & Incl 7.5L
All (Min Qty 12)
-
Ornamental & Fruit Trees
Small Hand Tools, Irrigation Canes & Mulch Matting
Rootgrow, Bonemeal, Seaweed & AfterPlant
Tall Box Delivery £15.00
£100
Height Over 1.2m
-
-
-
-
-
Large Tools
Pallet Delivery £50.00
£200
-
All
Pot Size 10L & Above & Root Ball Topiary
-
All (Min Qty 3)
Pleached & Espalier Trees (Min Qty 5)
Topsoil
Pallet Deliveries
Some plants are too heavy or too tall to be packed in cardboard box, in which case we use pallet deliveries. In these circumstances, we require a minimum order value of £170 (ex VAT) for free delivery, or you can make a contribution towards the delivery cost. Look out for the information on product pages which explains this further where applicable and if your order is for less than £170 (ex VAT) please call us on 01257 494 491 or email us to agree upon a delivery contribution. This requirement only applies to those plants where it is clearly indicated on the product page.
Pallet deliveries are always undertaken on an 18-tonne vehicle (similar in size to a standard refuse vehicle). If for any reason you require a smaller vehicle please contact our sales team who can arrange this for you. There will be an additional surcharge applied for small vehicle deliveries
Delivery Areas
EU & NI - As of 1st January 2021, we are no longer delivering to Republic Of Ireland or anywhere else within the EU. Currently, we can no longer deliver to Northern Ireland also.
Scottish Highlands & Islands - Most deliveries to the Scottish Highlands & Islands incur an additional charge. We classify this as including AB (Aberdeen) and DD (Dundee) postcodes, all Scottish Islands, as well as the Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Isle of Man. The exact delivery cost is order specific and will need to be quoted by a member of our Sales Enquiries & Advice Team, so please contact us on 01257 494 491
Protected Zones - Some of the species of plants we sell cannot be shipped outside of the UK Mainland under any circumstance, in accordance with regulations set out by DEFRA. Protected Zones we cannot deliver these plants to include all of the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Jethou, Lihou, Burhou, Alderney & Ortac), Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, France, Ireland.
Currently, this includes any plants or packs containing plants from the following genera:
Amelanchier
Cotoneaster
Crataegus
Malus
Pyracantha
Sorbus
Delivery Timescales
99% of our orders are dispatched within 3 to 7 working days of receipt and most the day after the order is placed. We can do “next day delivery” on many of our products for an additional £12 (incl VAT) but please call on 01257 494 491 before placing your order to check.
We can also deliver on a specified date to suit you. Please indicate the date you would like to receive delivery in the notes section of the checkout (or place your order by phone) and we’ll do our utmost to meet that date.
Occasional hiccups can occur (such as broken down vehicles) and although we are very experienced in logistics we cannot be held liable for costs incurred or inconvenience due to late deliveries - see terms and conditions for more information.
You will receive an email or telephone call confirming the dispatch of your order 24/48 hours before it arrives with you.
Exceptions to our quick turnaround timescale
Pre-orders - if you have placed an order that includes products on pre-order, then they will be dispatched to you as soon as they are available. If your order includes pre-order bare roots or root balls you will be notified once they are being dispatched (root balls from mid to late October and bare roots from early to mid-November).
Root Balls - lifting root balls involves the use of complex, heavy machinery, this lifting is carried out twice a week in the root ball season so we do still have a prompt turnaround timescale but if your order has just missed one lifting, it will be a few days before we lift again. We are always happy to confirm when we can deliver to you before you order. The benefit of this method of supplying root balls is that they are always fresh and therefore have a higher success rate than root balls that are stored out of the soil.
Weather conditions can affect dispatch - bare root and root ball plants are not lifted if the ground is too cold (it damages the roots) and the delivery of all plants can be affected if the water supply is frozen (because we water all plants before packing). Extremely hot weather can also be challenging, and occasionally we hold backorders for species that are particularly vulnerable. We ask our customers to be mindful of bank holidays when couriers are not active.
We'd like to stress that although there are exceptions, the vast majority of our orders are dispatched extremely quickly and we are proud of our logistics developed over many years of delivering plants to tens of thousands of customers.
Returns
We inspect plants carefully before dispatch but accept that very occasionally things may go wrong. You can return your plants (within 14 days) for a refund or replacement (we’ll help with the process of returning). If your plants arrived damaged then returns are free of charge. However, we ask that you inform us as soon as possible. If you’d like to return your plants because of a change of plan or if we do not agree that the plants are significantly damaged (the loss of a few leaves in transit or a loose pot on arrival, for example, wouldn't be harmful to the plants), then we may ask you to pay the full or partial return costs if you still wanted to return them. We’re very reasonable and always aim for complete satisfaction as demonstrated by our amazing Feefo customer reviews which can be viewed here.
Should you wish to return any products that you have over-bought, no longer require or purchased in error you will incur both a return cost (different charges for pallets and Boxes) and the original cost of delivery incurred by best4hedging. Please contact the Service team for charges and/or to organise a return. Plants will be subject to a quality control check from our Nursery upon return before any refund is authorised and processed.
Please note that in the case of damaged plants, if you have not notified us of a problem within 14 days of delivery, we consider you to have accepted the plants and best4hedging has no further liability for them should they fail. You can read more about our returns policy in our terms and conditions here.
You can buy with confidence from best4hedging.
We accept all major credit and debit cards. We have also partnered with PayPal to provide a further, secure payment option.
You can order online or over the phone by calling our dedicated Sales & Advice team.