Mame European Hornbeam in development

[AshleyMammal]

Here's a little european hornbeam i've been developing since 2020/2021 from pretty uninspiring garden centre/nursery stock. Plenty more development to go but i'm hoping to make a nice little mame (possibly shohin) from this.

This is a learning curve for me as it's the first tree where i've developed a completely new trunkline and hoping to get roughly to the virt design with another 10 years of ramification..

 

[99 Mile Creek]

This is looking fantastic, given its journey so far.

I wonder, though, if the base of the tree will close up more around that abnormal growth and create a 'knot' or hole when this starts to mature? (Second photo, tree moving to the left). It might be a prized feature.

Everyone should own a hornbeam!

 

[AshleyMammal]

This is looking fantastic, given its journey so far.

I wonder, though, if the base of the tree will close up more around that abnormal growth and create a 'knot' or hole when this starts to mature? (Second photo, tree moving to the left). It might be a prized feature.

Everyone should own a hornbeam!

Thank you, I am pleased with the progress. I agree on the chop site growth, it might become a nice gnarly feature, it might remain ugly. At the minute it's on the intended back of the tree but I have considered that it may become the front one day.

I'm an absolute terror with a dremel and i'm not a fan of 'pretty' trees so it may be that this tree gets a bit of hollowing out in future to try to replicate an ancient life and weather battered tree.