The Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is a very common tree in Perigord. It grows mostly on northern slopes and in deep valleys, where it can develop into large shadowy forests. It replaced beeches that have nearly disappeared from Dordogne. Same kind of tree, nearly the same kind of habitat. Normally, Hornbeams do not grow old. It is not every day you meet an old Hornbeam like this one. This Methusalem is rather high than broad and its trunk has thick irregular ridges, as if it consisted of many interwoven thin trees.
It is normal for a Hornbeam to have a ribbed trunk, as you can see here below. On younger trees it is sometimes difficult to see, but if you pass your hand over the bark you feel the twists in the wood under it.
Nearly invisible in the picture: the buds begin to grow in this still wintry copse. Hornbeams develop their leaves a bit earlier than Oaks and Chestnuts. Wait some weeks, and the new leaves will come out.
End of March, here are the leaves!
They look much like Beech leaves, but they are not as shiny and of a lighter green, and there are no hairs on the leaf edges.
The catkins - here below the male ones - develop at the same time as the leaves.
They move with the wind that takes the pollen wherever it wants.