Know Your Zone
Enter your zip code to look up your hardiness zone region.
#6738
MONKEYTAIL HORNBEAM
Carpinus fangiana
Currently Unavailable
These Units Are Currently Ready to Ship
These items can be added to your Shopping Cart.
These Units Are Currently Out of Stock
Check back regularly for updated inventory.
These Units Are Currently Growing On Our Farm
We are waiting for them to become ready to ship. These items can be added to your Shopping Cart.
Orders containing Online Pre-Order items will be scheduled to ship based on projected ready dates.
These Units Are Currently In Production
These items are currently in production and do not have a projected ready date at this time. These items cannot be added to your Shopping Cart.
Please call to pre-order (918) 453-0771.
Root Pouch 5 gallon
(SKU: 20076)
0 - Available Now -
Details
-
Grown in Root Pouch®.
List Price $185.00 Per Plant
Hardiness Zone: 6-8 · Mature Height: 25-40 Feet · Mature Spread: 15-25 Feet
With its exotic cascading catkins and lush tropical-looking foliage, Monkeytail Hornbeam is the tree that stops people in their tracks. From spring through early summer, the tree puts on a spectacle of soft green hop-like catkins that can reach up to 20 inches long, dancing in the breeze like woodland chandeliers. Rare in cultivation but shockingly easy to grow, this refined deciduous tree has earned high praise from JC Raulston Arboretum Director Mark Weathington, who called it "one of the most amazing trees" he's ever wanted.
The foliage emerges in spring with a coppery-bronze flush before settling into deep green in summer and turning golden yellow in fall. This broad, upright tree offers shade, architectural beauty, and habitat for birds, pollinators, and butterflies. The bold leaves and oversized hanging catkins give it a subtly tropical appearance, making it perfect for woodland borders, streamside plantings, or as a standout specimen in any refined garden.
Native to the mountains of western China and introduced to cultivation only in the last few decades, Monkeytail Hornbeam is surprisingly tolerant of clay, chalk, and moist soils—and even resistant to deer and black walnut! Give it a bit of room to show off its graceful form, and you'll have one of the most conversation-starting trees in your landscape.
Family: Betulaceae · Common Name: Hornbeam
FREE with every plant purchased:
- The Sooner Guarantee: For details, click here!
- A pre-applied, pre-measured amount of time release fertilizer that keeps your plant well nourished for up to one year.
- Pre-hydrated Hydro-Gels are included in the top of each container to use when planting as they help retain soil moisture, and plants will establish more quickly with less transplant shock. Plants will also survive drought-like conditions and accidental missed waterings better.
- Planting and Care Instruction brochure.
- Catalogs of new and exciting plant brands, such as Garden Debut® and Proven Winners®.
We use and recommend www.dripdepot.com for our irrigation needs, from simple to install micro and drip systems, to commercial grade irrigation parts and supplies.
- Catalogs of new and exciting plant brands, such as Garden Debut® and Proven Winners®.
We use and recommend www.dripdepot.com for our irrigation needs, from simple to install micro and drip systems, to commercial grade irrigation parts and supplies.
MONKEYTAIL HORNBEAM Plant Characteristics
Bark Color*
| • | Gray |
Bark Type*
| • | Smooth |
Cultural Information*
| • | Leaf Scorch - Moderate Resistance |
| • | Leaf Spot - Moderate Resistance |
| • | Powdery Mildew - High Resistance |
| • | Root Rot - High Resistance |
Growth Rate*
| • | Fast |
Leaf Color Spring*
| • | Green |
Leaf Color Summer*
| • | Green |
Leaf Type*
| • | Deciduous/Herbaceous |
Plant Type*
| • | Tree |
Preferred Soil Conditions*
| • | Adapts Well to Most Soil Types |
| • | Average |
| • | Moist |
| • | Prefers Low pH (Acidic Soils) |
| • | Well-Drained |
Uses*
| • | Accent Plant |
| • | Landscape Specimen |
| • | Mass Planting |
| • | Provides Shade |
| • | Sound Barrier |
| • | Wildlife Habitat |
| • | Wind/Dust Break |
0 review(s) for MONKEYTAIL HORNBEAM
MONKEYTAIL HORNBEAM Homeowner Growing & Maintenance Tips
- Recommended Soil:
- Tolerates clay, chalk, loam, and even rocky soils.
- Prefers moist but well-drained conditions.
- Will thrive in average to slightly wet soils.
- Sun Exposure:
- Full sun to partial shade.
- Great as an understory tree.
- Irrigation Needs:
- Moderate water; prefers evenly moist soil.
- Drought-tolerant once established.
- Benefits from mulch around root zone.
- Feeding & Nutrients:
- Light fertilizer in early spring (balanced or organic).
- Amend soil with compost annually for best performance.
- Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers late in season.
- Pruning & Maintenance:
- Low maintenance tree.
- Optional pruning in winter for shaping or trunk exposure.
- Tolerates heavy pruning if needed.
Interesting Notes About MONKEYTAIL HORNBEAM
- Drama on a String: The tree's racemes look like floral streamers—catkins so long they've been described as "hop-like dreadlocks." Up to 20 inches and hanging in clusters—this is garden theater.
- Leaves That Dress to Impress: New growth bursts in burgundy before maturing to a deep forest green, and finishes with golden-yellow tones in fall. Even the foliage makes a seasonal statement.
- Rare Roots: Introduced from western China only in the 1980s, Monkeytail Hornbeam was collected in Hubei province at over 1,000 feet in elevation. Wild in origin—cultivated with care.
- Wildlife Approved: A larval host for Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Red-Spotted Purples. Its seeds feed birds and mammals in fall. This is not just eye candy—it's habitat.
- Arboretum-Approved: Mark Weathington of JC Raulston Arboretum says it's "one of the most amazing trees" he's ever grown. When public garden directors gush—you know it's good.
You must be logged into your customer account to post a review for Carpinus fangiana .