American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- kar-PINE-us kair-oh-lin-ee-AN-uh
- Description
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American hornbeam is a deciduous tree in the Betulaceae (beech) family native to the eastern U.S.A. It can be found naturally in areas with moist soil including streambanks, riverbanks, and maritime forests. The common name musclewood comes from the appearance of the smooth bark with bumps underneath resembling musles.
This medium sized tree may grow slowly 20 to 30 to feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide. The leaves are alternate with a doubly toothed margin and turn an attractive orange-red color in the fall. In early spring, yellow-green, male and fuzzy, yellow-green, female flowers mature. The small tree produces a small, ribbed nutlet that is carried by a 3-lobed leafy bract. The American Hornbeam is a short, stubby tree that can have one or more trunks, each a foot wide and aesthetically pleasing. The bark is bluish-gray, thin, fairly smooth, and heavily fluted.
Plant in sandy or clay loams with high organic matter, regular moisture and slightly acidic soils. Does well in heavy shade and is found as an understory tree in forests. It is difficult to transplant and best moved in spring. This plant is moderately resistant to damage from deer but is especially sensitive to drought, heat, and soil compaction.
The extremely hard wood of this tree will, as the common name suggests, take a horn-like polish and was once used by early Americans to make bowls, tool handles, and ox yokes. Commercial use of hornbeam wood is not practical, however, due to the limited amount of wood per tree.
Use this adaptable tree in naturalized areas or along streams or ponds as well as in urban settings. This is a wildlife friendly tree perfect for a pollinator, children's, or native garden acting as a larval host plant, food source for mammals and birds, and a cover plant. It is tolerant of drier sites, some sun, wind, and periodic flooding making it a candidate for a rain garden.
Quick ID Hints:
- alternate leaves, simple
- older bark is slate gray with muscle appearance
- leaves weakly doubly serrate, parallel veins
- inverted pins
- fruits a nutlet on 3-lobed bract, lobes basal
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Leaf spots, cankers, and twig blight are occasional disease problems of the American hornbeam.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'J.N. Upright' or 'Firespire'
Columnar form, 20' tall 10' wide - 'Walter'
- 'J.N. Upright' or 'Firespire'
- 'J.N. Upright' or 'Firespire', 'Walter'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'J.N. Upright' or 'Firespire'
Columnar form, 20' tall 10' wide - 'Walter'
- 'J.N. Upright' or 'Firespire'
- 'J.N. Upright' or 'Firespire', 'Walter'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Carpinus
- Species:
- caroliniana
- Family:
- Betulaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The wood has been used for tool handles, mallet heads, levers and other small wooden objects. American pioneers used it for bowls and dishes, as it is not subject to cracking.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- E. Canada to SE. U.S.A., NC
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , VT , WI , WV
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- It is a larval host plant for the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Red-spotted Purple butterflies. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilo glaucus) has three flights from February-November in the deep south and March-September in the north. The Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) has two broods from April-October. The seed and buds provide food source for songbirds, ruffed grouse, quail, wild turkeys, foxes, and squirrels. On young specimens, the inner bark is eaten by beavers and rabbits. These plants also provide good cover and shelter for animals.
- Play Value:
- Buffer
- Edible fruit
- Screening
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Fire in the landscape.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 35 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Clumping
- Multi-stemmed
- Oval
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasional Flooding
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The nutlet is 1/3 inch long and is attached to a leaf-like 3-lobed green scale that helps it to be carried by the wind.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Monoecious (both male and female flowers on the same tree) male catkin is 1-2.5" long, female 3/4 inch long, 3 lobed bracts, 1-1.5" long, middle of lobe the widest.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Orange
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Doubly Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Dull bluish green surface, paler underside, and sharp teeth. Alternate, simple, 2.5-5" long, 1-2" wide, ovate-oblong, doubly serrate, glabrous.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Ridges
- Smooth
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Irregular
- Bark Description:
- Smooth, tight, thin and bluish-gray stretched over an irregularly ridged trunk
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Older branches develop a slate gray, smooth, irregularly fluted appearance; overall appearance is similar to a flexed bicep muscle, hence the common name muscle wood.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Riparian
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Understory Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Dry Soil
- Fire
- Heavy Shade
- Urban Conditions
- Wet Soil
- Wind
