Hornbeam: Our Magical Friend

“What is the hornbeam?” says Nick Lear, who has been managing a large hornbeam wood in Sussex for more than 20 years. Often confused with the beech, very few people really know the tree and its many qualities. This film takes us on a journey from Sussex to Walthamstow in London to explore its history, its many uses, its beauty and sheer resilience. Largely forgotten by many foresters, we learn from a woodsman, an outdoor chef, an artist and a community activist what the tree really represents. Enjoy the journey from “the very best of firewood” to a Bach remedy that “revives the soul”.
A film for WoodlandsTV, produced by One Planet Media a small company who really love trees, with two woodland owners amongst its Associates.

[@777-Phil]

We only have one of these, iirc, in Guntersville AL walking trail. I will definitely bless God for it more thanks to y'all.

[@Lawrence549]

I have one at the bottom of my garden, clearly it was once part of the hedgerow, but has been let to grow. it's a massive tree with seven intertwined trunks. Every year it drops thousands of seeds, many of which germinate and have been given to friends as the beginning of new Hornbeam hedges. It is a magical tree.

[@joanflemmingkendrick1107]

Such a beautiful video. I didn't want it to end! 🌳

[@JPLamoureuxsTravels]

One of my favourite trees the horn beam, Hard Tree, I have a tea spoon I carved from HB about 10 years ago it’s like iron I use it and have done nearly every day and it’s still as good as the day I carved it it’s just totally tea stained.... lovely video 😉👌👍

[@wmarkfish]

The American hornbeam is an understory tree but looks much like the English hornbeam. There is a variety called the Hop Hornbeam that has flowers that look like hops. They are sometimes called muscle beech or musclewood because of the sinewy nature of growth and Ironwood because it is so hard. Also commonly called blue birch or blue beech. They don't seem to grow as large and spread out as the English hornbeam but grow narrow and upright. I have an 8" diameter beam that I placed at the bottom of my stairs that I touch each morning as I come downstairs for breakfast.

[@timothylongmore7325]

That must have been a very large hop hornbeam. I've rarely seen them big enough to yield an 8" beam. We have a forest near us that has ( or had ) many hornbeam. White ash may have shaded them out by now. I haven't been up there in a while.

[@andreblanchard8569]

I have some in my stairway both as posts and hand rails, left the bark on and did not put any finish on them, the fuzzy outer part fell off quickly but over the years the oils from many hands has polished them up quite nicely. One post has a branch that looped back and grew back into the tree about 20" above where it comes out.

[@timothylongmore7325]

@@andreblanchard8569 I think the creator of this thread is talking about a different species than the rest of us. Maybe I'm wrong. The tree that I'm familiar with called hopp hornbeam does get to a big enough size to use as you describe , but "blue beech , muscle wood , small under story bush" , doesn't sound like the tree I'm familiar with. Scaley bark , medium size , usually straight growing ( in forest setting) very hard tree. I don't recall hoppy flowers but who knows.

[@Halga-Wulf]

I must say that I was impressed by the sincerity of the artist Mark Golding and his obvious inter-connection with trees, and in this case the Hornbeam. In regard to the video, and the words of Mr Golding, I would like to point out, if I may, that the name 'Hornbeam' is Old English (Anglo-Saxon) meaning 'Horn-Tree', the word 'beam' being akin to the German 'baum' meaning 'tree'. I cannot find any connection of 'horn-' to 'hard' in Old English, but the Proto-Germanic Root *hernaz can mean 'hard', so perhaps this did have this meaning too. What is also very interesting is the use of Mr Golding's 'nature-spirit growth' since the Old Saxon (from Saxony in Germania) word for 'tree' - 'boom' - gave rise to the expression we use for scaring someone through acting as a 'ghost' - 'boo!' The term 'ghost' originally referred to a 'spirit' and thus the Old English 'beam' may have been linked to this, since the alternative word for 'tree' - treow - could have referred to the physical form. Perhaps the two, over time, became used with the same meaning. Obviously, Edward Bach, who could 'see' the properties of trees and plants, recognised this as being able to 'revive the soul'.

[@vertwoods191]

Really interesting - thanks for sharing this

[@twintwo1429]

A long time ago there was a practical term " hornbeam ". Two bulls with large horns and equal in stature, could be tethered with a beam of wood, by the horns. This keeps them working together. Keeps them FORWARD looking and dependent upon each other in working a plow or pulling a wagon or sled.

[@nseight]

What a lovely post * Thank you so much for taking the time to share :-)

[@jayuppercase3398]

Nice video. I planted a few hundred of these last year, hopefully will plant them out in 6/7 years

[@frankiescorpio8103]

Very nice its good to see Mother Nature being appreciated

[@leeedmunds2539]

Just lovely!

[@JeepsterDave]

Lovely film, thanks

[@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid]

Excellent! We have our own 30 acre forest in the Adirondacks of New York in the USA. We ‘accidentally ‘ discovered this tree this past summer when we were clearing some of our land. We thought it was a beech nut tree but when it fell it had those odd drooping sort of flowers on it! Low and behold a hornbeam. So exciting! Great information in this video. Thanks so much!

[@TheWoodgineer]

Oooh I love hornbeam, made some tool handles with some a while ago and think the tools will outlast me. This place looks amazing :)

[@Ai-he1dp]

Beautiful tree!....good luck to everyone involved.

[@gucciviking]

Wonderful video!! 💚🌿

[@Jerseyhighlander]

I have a number of small American Hornbeam here on my property in the mountainous region of New-Jersey but I've never seen any even remotely as large as those. I've harvested a few pieces to use for making tools & tool handles as well as done a couple small greenwood carvings. It's a really beautiful wood with very interesting characteristics. I'd be thrilled beyond measure to find a trunk section over 9"diameter.

[@RickTOutdoorAdventure1969]

Always a pleasure 👍

[@ganainm5113]

Great video! Thanks :)

[@primitive.and.ancient]

Nice place, I love trees and greenery.🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲 My place is very dry and there are no forests, now I am doing my primitive projects inside a cave! Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@jjmcwill1881]

I come across American hornbeam a lot here in ohio. Its a beautiful tree. It looks like muscle. The bark and shape is very alive looking, like it could reach out and grab you at any moment. The American hornbean is an understory tree so it doesnt get massive.

[@ajaxtelamonian5134]

Love hornbeams awesome for good firewood in the swampy land I call home.

[@jimcummins8302]

Loved that video, so educational and inspiring 😍

[@gtaylor2770]

Unfortunately, in the States we only have carpinus caroliniana, the American hornbeam, which isn't very big compared to your trees. However, we do have the 'fastigiata' cultivar of European hornbeam, which does not spread very wide and is often used as a street tree in American cities. Seattle, Washington, for example, has thousands of them. They are quite narrow when young, but as they mature they spread out and become quite beautiful. Thank you for this video of a wonderful tree.

[@jjmcwill1881]

I found a hophornbeam in Ohio. I didn't even know they were a thing. I guess both are members of the birch family And have very hard wood.

[@TheUntypicals]

I thought the Romans introduced Beech and that Hornbeam was native. Whenever someone asks me to install Beech hedging I always persuade them to have Hornbeam :)

[@mikegan73]

The Hornbeam is native.

[@jeremyatkinson4976]

@@mikegan73 The Romans also introduced Roe Deer. The scottish population predates the Romans; the english animals are introduced european stock, or so it was 10 years ago. Hornbeam is the best british wood for shoe lasts. The woods surrounding London may in part owe their existance to the need for oven and fire wood. Beech was here before the Romans, which doesn't preclude their "introducing" it.

[@FLIPMODE630]

You little tinker

[@actionadah]

Roman's are responsible for the sweet chestnut and horse chestnut, along with the grey squriell

[@jeremyatkinson4976]

@@actionadah One out of three is correct

[@Jdmsword14]

really enjoyed that. Ive seen these trees i didn't know what they were thought ironwood or beech or something

[@charlesfredrick4789]

Ironwood is one of the common names for a hornbeam

[@boonhinglim6670]

god bless u for caring trees

[@KurtandSara]

We have an american variety here in the USA that I'll have to keep an eye out for on my next hike. Love the history and Lore included in the video.

[@WOODLANDSTV]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@liveoak4124]

Traditionally used for woodworking plane soles and chisel handles. It can be so much more than firewood.

[@vertwoods191]

Agreed and if we'd had a few more minutes to play with we'd have gone further looking at that. We almost got a blacksmith lined up who uses hornbeam for best charcoal and makes tools with hornbeam handles. He simply wouldn't respond to any communications. Frustrating

[@Makete100]

@@vertwoods191 A straight Hornbeam tree makes an awesome longbow too. Got to find one straight with no or very little twist. Try not to converse with those tRump cultists. Not all us Americans are brain stupid from the kool aid. We have Hornbeam here but I believe they call it Hopsis(sp?) Hornbeam. Ours don't have those awesome twisty trunks but does have what I call knees.

[@Tony-Blake]

@@vertwoods191 Even though your blacksmith proved frustratingly camera-shy, the information could have been included.

[@Tony-Blake]

@@Makete100 You triggered a dRUMPf-cultist. Not a difficult task.

[@Makete100]

@Diving Duck Spoken like a true tRump cultist.

[@outlaw5253]

In the mountains of western maine, usa we have a Hornbeam tree that is hard as iron. It grows very straight and grows slow. Hard to find one bigger than 10 inches at the base.

[@thenarrator869]

Dresden maine here. A ton of hornbeam and beech still on blinn hill. I agree on the size. I think its disregard here in maine. It's not know about or appreciated. I cut one up today 15 in diameter.

[@kathybost1879]

How beautiful. I enjoyed the video until we got to the sign on the cafe wall. "A world without borders" - riiiiiiight, how's that workin out for you?

[@railway-share3820]

Exactly what I thought.

[@callummason6589]

Trees make borders lol

[@billlyoliveman]

Wow. Congratulations! Who'd have thought somebody could take something negative from that?! Ah, well......

[@vertwoods191]

That's what the cafe says - not our job to comment on that. Its also a declaration of their vision and how they operate the cafe - restaurant. You'd get that if you had a meal there

[@billlyoliveman]

I'm guessing Kathy's either 'murican or a Brexiteer. So sad that they should raise their ugly politics here :'(

[@dandean2345]

Jack Hargreaves stated it doesn't weather like oak so mo gateposts or ships but it's as hard as oak so use it indoors

[@dooleyfussle8634]

Hop hornbeam makes a good bow.

[@RexGreene]

Good video until full flake at 7:06.

[@woodyeblom9063]

Rex Green Agreed, it was a nice story until the Woo had to show up.

[@jontyshearme6919]

We are doing a Coppice restoration project on a 35 acre Hornbeam wood in south Norfolk (UK) We plan to start making charcoal in the new year. Norfolks Hornbeam woods were very important for the charcoal industry here in east anglia as we needed it for smelting iron etc

[@RCSVirginia]

Jonty Shearme What a wonderful thing to do! As you already know, Coppice Woodlands are very important for many species of plants and animals.

[@vertwoods191]

Can you earmark me 6 bags of hornbeam charcoal.? We really tried to get some for the film and burn it side by side with conventional but just couldn't find some. See our FB site - 'Lower Vert Woods Community Days' for comms

[@jontyshearme6919]

@@vertwoods191 Thank you for your "order" I will keep you posted as to how things go.

[@tristanadamski8479]

My bokken is made of hornbeam. It‘s a good, strong wood for weapons.

[@gerry343]

Hatfield Forest has many hornbeam trees.

[@LarsKiel]

🙏👍

[@aha2551]

someone said that a hornbeam turns a good Red, for a good part of the autumn/winter...right up to april--??--does anyone witness?--& if so what shade of red....eg like a copper beech etc? thanks x

[@andrewnawarycz3026]

Block and tackle used to be made of hornbeam, also the head's of mallets

[@mimojimi]

I'm a hornbeam tree

[@inregionecaecorum]

I expect I have a few hornbeams lying around, well I did plant some, but to be honest they look much the same as the beech I planted at the same time.

[@vertwoods191]

Look a bit closer and you'll soon see some big differences. Look for the twist in hornbeam

[@jimcummins8302]

Look at the leaf, they fooled me the last 30 years, just discovered I have two beautiful Hornbeam though they were beech... We'll done, good luck 😁

[@traceypistorio9660]

We have hornbeam in the northeast U.S, We call it hop hornbeam. I always thought it was native, apparently not.

[@tessjuel]

The American hophornmbeam is bative to northeast America. It's a different species than the European hornbeam but the two are quite similar and fairly closely related. There are more species than those two, no less than 38 different species of "true" hornbeams and nine hophornbeams spread across the temperate zones of Euopra, North America and Asia.

[@MrKaido93]

American Hornbeam also known as "Iron wood" or "Muscle wood" is a different but related species to Hop Hornbeam which is also known as an "Ironwood tree".

[@peterh4446]

Do you manage for coppice for firewood production?

[@vertwoods191]

the guys in the film do and have done for 20 plus years

[@vertwoods191]

Yes - that's mainly what Nick Lear in the film does. The key thing is to get it back into a 30-35 year cycle

[@crisprtalk6963]

I cut one of these down not knowing what it was. Tried to split it with axe for firewood. The wood would have nothing to do with it!

[@rogerscottcathey]

Sounds like elm. You sure about it?

[@crisprtalk6963]

@@rogerscottcathey pretty sure yes. The leaves a match for hornbeam and after getting a couple pieces to split eventually I saw that the the wood was very white.

[@woodspirit98]

It's magical bcuz the leaf opens in the most amazing way. Uh huh?

[@vertwoods191]

We just missed the bud opening so couldn't sequence it. It's pretty special and you might try and take a time-lapse if you are cynical about it

[@paulmurphy612]

If the deer feed on the coppice stool, can you pollard?

[@vertwoods191]

That's really what Nick is doing by raising the height of the coppicing

[@Bootysmoothie]

First view and comment I think

[@davidtonge1093]

Hornbeam was called because as the yoke between two draft oxen to pull a wooden plough it wwent on their shoulders with a collar underneath it was a strong but lighter wood than oak and could be shapped to fit the oxen this is the yoke of the bible

[@paulmarren7970]

some people capitalize on anything🦉bad wisdom. brilliant if you love money. i wonder what a meal costs in that cafe or that woodland "project"?

[@cujimmy1366]

: )

[@7kyro]

Take the music away and this video becomes even more hilarious. This tree grows like a weed. The only redeeming thing about it is that it is a salvageable hardwood. But why would you farm these when you could have healthy oaks with less knots and mill-able lengths. While we're at it, Why would you plant these as street trees when the trimming is horrible around power lines and grows and looks like hot garbage when have to drop crotch them into the shape of a coat rack in the end. These people have made a career out of convincing naive locals. And by the way, I suspect the romans used them for coppicing purposes, which was never even mentioned once in this 8min video.

[@vertwoods191]

We disagree. Its hardness and terrific calorific value for fuel really make it distinct. It certainly doesn't grow like a weed in Sussex. It's tough and hardy but very neglected. When managed properly it makes brilliant hedges, fantastic firewood, and great tool handles and hammers

[@z3a3k3]

Tree-wise, not bad, I've sought some info on the subject. But, c'mon guys, if you need to worship, which everyone does, why don't you just use another kind of tree, much more suitable for the purpose, the Tree of the Cross, and cut this infantility.

[@harrymason1053]

What are these people smoking?

[@paulhugo2180]

It looks a little like beach.