Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ is a deciduous ornamental cultivar, highly valued for its elegant columnar shape and dense, neat canopy.

It is a deciduous tree belonging to the Betulaceae family, selected in Europe and widely used in formal gardens, urban avenues, and modern green spaces for its compact, vertical form. In adulthood, it can reach a height between 10 and 15 meters, with a canopy width that rarely exceeds 3-5 meters, making it ideal for confined spaces.

The canopy, initially narrow and columnar, gradually becomes more oval with time while maintaining a very tidy appearance. The dense, vertical branches support abundant foliage made up of ovate-elliptic leaves with a doubly serrated margin, bright green in spring and summer. In autumn, the foliage turns golden yellow, providing a striking decorative effect.

Flowering occurs in spring, between April and May, with inconspicuous flowers: male ones in pendulous catkins, and female ones more upright. This is followed by the formation of small fruits (achenes) enclosed in a trilobed bract, gathered in pendulous infructescences that mature at the end of summer.

From a cultivation standpoint, it is a hardy, low-maintenance plant with slow to moderate growth and high resistance to cold, drought, and urban pollution.

It prefers sunny or partially shaded locations and adapts to a wide range of soils, as long as they are well-drained, cool, and moderately fertile.

Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ is particularly suited for the creation of tree-lined avenues, public spaces, formal gardens, and as a vertical element in modern landscaping compositions, thanks to its naturally slender form and ease of maintenance. It is also used to create windbreaks, tall hedges, or geometric rows.

→ Discover all our ornamental trees with a columnar shape.