Japanese hornbeam

plant

Also known as: Carpinus japonica

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The Japanese hornbeam (Carpinus japonica) is a species of hardy, slow-growing ornamental and timber tree belonging to the birch family, Betulaceae. It is part of the Carpinus genus, which includes about 25 species distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere.1

Japanese hornbeam trees typically have smooth or fissured grayish bark and horizontally spreading branches. Their leaves are borne alternately along the stems and are reddish-brown when they first unfold. The related hop-hornbeam (Ostrya) is in a different genus within the same family.12

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hornbeam
Major species
In the Japanese hornbeam (C. japonica), the downy leaves are reddish brown when unfolding; the smaller Korean hornbeam (C. eximia), usually 9 metres (30 feet) tall, has egg-shaped slender-pointed downy leaves.
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In the Japanese hornbeam (C. japonica), the downy leaves are reddish brown when unfolding; the smaller Korean hornbeam (C. eximia), usually 9 metres (30 feet) tall, has egg-shaped slender-pointed downy leaves.
Read More