The hornbeam can reach a height of 30m, although it is usually smaller with a curved or leaning trunk. Mature trees have a characteristic deeply fluted, sinuous, smooth grey trunk (Gamlin, 1985). It is often coppiced or pollarded; sending up stands of snake-like poles and often dominates the shrub layer or co-dominates with hazel.
The leaves are 4-10cm long, sharply toothed, and are folded along parallel veins, lying opposite to each other on twigs (Wilkinson, 1976), and has distinct deeply ribbed fruits (Godwin, 1965).