Carpinus: the autumn colors

13 ottobre 2025
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CARPINUS SHOHIN - a crown of a thousand shades

The seasons pass silently: we look around and the colors of the treetops surprise us with their sudden changes. A single day's distraction is enough to miss their transformation: the bright green leaves, which evoke warm summer days, begin to take on intense autumnal hues that warm and accompany us towards the cold season with intimate delicacy.
At Crespi Bonsai, we are lucky to observe these marvelous miniature metamorphoses through the bonsai we grow in our greenhouses and display in our stores. The deciduous and fruit-bearing species are those that best tell us about autumn: the berries and fruit color and scent the crown, while the leaves take on gradually changing hues, giving us the impression of always looking at a different tree. Today we show you autumn through a wonderful shohin hornbeam bonsai.

The strength of the nebari

The shohin hornbeam shown in the photo is characterized by the slightly sloping shape of its mighty trunk. The nebari is well developed and conveys a sense of stability and strength, while the rough, textured bark gives the bonsai an aged appearance.

The finesse of the branching

The hornbeam's branching is very slender and elegant, a characteristic accentuated by the small size of its thin, serrated leaves. The contrast created between the darker color of the trunk and the brighter color of the light foliage, now in full autumnal glory, is very interesting.

The Color of the Pot

The intense blue of the glazed pot in which this hornbeam shohin bonsai is grown was chosen to highlight the bright green of its leaves from spring to summer and the golden and coppery hues typical of autumn.

The Autumnal Dress

October is the month when our nurseries begin to change color, just like the foliage of this hornbeam, which is preparing for its complete metamorphosis. We will soon see the light green of some of its leaves give way to a bright coppery red that will accompany us until winter.

HORNBEAM IN FALL

In autumn, it's best to use a fertilizer with a low nitrogen content and supplement it with phosphorus and potassium to promote foliage color, lignification of branches, and strengthening of the trunk, bark, and roots. Once the leaves have fallen, it's recommended to prune, even heavily, to remove branches that have grown in the wrong place and strengthen the useful ones for the upcoming vegetative recovery.