The flowers are not ornamentally significant. Furlow Ball O’Fire is a more globular form … The Hornbeam grows throughout eastern North American, from Florida to Quebec, Louisiana north to Ontario It is also found in Texas, Arkansas, central and southern Mexico, Guatemala, Rub … The bark … Note: when native and non-native The fruit is a small 7–8-millimeter ( ⁄32– ⁄16-inch) long nut, parti… populations both exist in a county, only native status American hornbeam is a small tree reaching heights of 10–15 meters (35–50 ft), rarely 20 meters (65 ft), and often has a fluted and crooked trunk. 1. The leaves are alternate with a doubly toothed margin. American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) View products; Showing the single result. It is more narrow and upright than the European hornbeam. virginiana (Marsh.) Found this plant? This tree has interesting reddish brown bark that is broken into narrow strips that are loose at both ends. the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen The flowers are not ornamentally significant. A North American native tree boasting a kaleidoscope of color, American hornbeam unfurls striking reddish purple leaves in spring. The small nuts are edible, but seldom used by humans. virginiana Marsh. The smooth, slate gray bark adds winter interest. in 20 years). The muscle-like bark is smooth, gray, and fluted. County documented: documented American hornbeams (Carpinus caroliniana) are by far the most popular of the hornbeams grown in the U.S. Another common name for this tree is blue beech, which comes from the blue-gray color of its bark. All rights reserved. The male and female catkinsappear in spring at the same time as the leaves. to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within 2020 Plant in the spring. In the wild musclewood is an understory tree featuring distinctive muscle like trunk and branches. ; It is also called ironwood for its very dense timber. These modified leaves, formally known as bracts, typically appear between August and October (3). The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. • FAC). The leaves are ovoid and the flowers are yellow-green. Furlow. The European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is sometimes considered in some cultures as mystical, owing to its whitish, twisted trunk which branches profusely.The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is known as water beech or can have a blue-grey bark and is commonly identified as blue beech.The hornbeam is also sometimes called “ironwood” because of its very hard … American Hornbeam Fruit - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University. a sighting. The fruit is a triangular, seed-like nutlet, enclosed in a hard, woody, four-lobed husk covered with bristles. It will grow in heavy shade and wet soils. Many of the cultivars are selected for improved fall color or form. The smooth silvery blue bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape. VT. River banks, seepage swamps, riparian and deciduous forests. The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is a versatile backyard tree with famously "muscular" bark and leaves that turn orange in fall. The Go Botany project is supported Piedmont Master Gardeners, Sharing knowledge, Empowering communities. The mature growth of this tree is around 25' tall x 25' wide. 1). With the more recent arrival of several new cultivars which display some of the best characteristics of this species, an update on this tree is in order. (Marsh.) The bark is smooth and greenish-grey, becoming shallowly fissured in all old trees. Copyright: various copyright holders. Young American Hornbeam. American Hornbeam1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2 INTRODUCTION A handsome tree in many locations, the tree slowly reaches a height and spread of 20 to 30 feet (Fig. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding orange in the fall. virginiana (Marsh.) It has dark green leaves that change to yellow, orange and scarlet in fall. Flower and fruit: Flowers are green catkins and bloom from April until June. The fruit of musclewood is actually a nut and is attached to hanging clusters of modified leaves. post It can be found naturally in areas with moist soil including streambanks, riverbanks, and maritime forests. The bark of this tree is smooth and bluish-gray in color (3). A lovely shade tree suitable for most settings, American hornbeams are compact trees that fit the scale of the average home landscape perfectly. The Tree is a deciduous tree, it will be up to 12 m (39 ft) high. Monoecious. ssp. The American Hornbeam is botanically called Carpinus caroliniana. Non-native: introduced While the hornbeam tree sometimes bears the name of the ironwood tree, the two aren’t always describing the same thing. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding orange in the fall. Difficult to transplant due to deep spreading lateral roots. American Hornbeam Musclewood. It will grow with an attractive open habit in total shade, but be dense in full sun. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding orange in the fall. The smooth silvery blue bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape. All images and text © (intentionally or This tree brings interest to the winter landscape, too, by displaying blue-gray bark with a slightly rippled appearance that earned the common name musclewood. The leaves turn dark green in summer and then come ablaze with shades of yellow and orange-red in fall. Native Plant Trust or respective copyright holders. Male flowers are 1 to 1½ inches long; female flowers are 2 to 3 inches long with three-lobed bracts. It usually grows 30 to 40 feet (9-12 m) tall [4,13,32,39].The bark is thin, close, and usually smooth. Discover thousands of New England plants. It is native to Missouri where it is typically found in rich moist woods, valleys, ravine bottoms and rocky slopes along streams throughout the eastern and Ozark regions of the state (Steyermark). In a Tree Profile over 10 years ago, I raved about the American hornbeam, Carpinas caroliniana and still feel the same today. It produces small clusters of tan hop-like fruit from early fall to late winter. is shown on the map. It gets another common name, muscle tree, from the sinewy texture of its gray, fluted, smooth trunk. American hornbeam (carpinus caroliniana) is a wonderful little understory tree, short enough to tuck into small spaces. American hornbeam is a tall shrub or small tree, to 35 feet tall, with pendulous branches and a gray trunk that is fluted into musclelike ridges. N. American hornbeam. Carpinus caroliniana To reuse an virginiana Tolerates dry, shady sites. All Characteristics, the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals, the fruit is a nut (dry and indehiscent, with a hard wall, usually containing only one seed and usually subtended by an involucre), the fruit is an achene (dry, usually 1-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity), The base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, with rounded lobes), the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends), the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends), the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends), the twigs have hairs, but the hairs do not have glands. The American hornbeam can be grown as a multi-stemmed shrub or as a single-stemmed tree. There are many different cultivars of American Hornbeam. The American Hornbeam has forest green foliage throughout the season. They resemble hops that beer is made from. the fruit is a nut (dry and indehiscent, with a hard wall, usually containing only one seed and usually subtended by an involucre) the fruit is an achene (dry, usually 1 … A handsome tree in many locations, the tree slowly reaches a height and spread of 20 to 30 feet. CT, MA, ME, It has an irregular, wide spreading form that makes it a unique tree for the landscape. Noteworthy Characteristics. ssp. Leaf: Simple, alternate, 2 to 5 inches long. American Hornbeam Cultivars Carpinus caroliniana Native Flame ®, Palisade ®, Ball O’ Fire™, & Rising Fire ®. Notes: Fruit of the Hornbeam is a cluster of nuts hanging from a leafy branch. Being exceptionally dense and difficult to work, the wood is primarily used to fashion tough handles for striking implements like hammers. Your email address will not be published. The American Hornbeam grows in moist to wet soils and commonly occurs in swamps, along streams, and in wet bottomlands. Trunk . The trunk is often crooked, and is usually coarsely fluted, resembling a flexed muscle [4,7,13].The fruit is a ribbed nutlet 0.16 to 0.24 inch (4-6 mm) long [3,4]. Walt. American hophornbeam, which loves hilly areas, has papery capsules containing nuts that are eaten by a variety of wildlife including grouse, bobwhite, deer, pheasant, rabbit and turkey. Unlike other Hornbeams, the American species is tolerant of wet and clay soils and will also thrive in much more shade (although the growth is fastest in full sun). Its strong wood and fluted … RI, The flowers are not ornamentally significant. The American Hornbeam is a slow growing, small tree that has a 'muscular' twist in the trunk. evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Spring foliage changes from crimson to green, then becomes deep green in summer. A mid size deciduous tree. Show Fruit of American hornbeam is oval-shaped, green, hairy samara equipped with wings. American Hornbeam, Musclewood, or Ironwood, is a deciduous tree that may grow 30 to feet tall. state. Carpinus caroliniana, commonly called American hornbeam, is a slow-growing, deciduous, small to medium-sized understory tree with an attractive globular form. The American Hornbeam has forest green foliage throughout the season. The fruit is a small wingless, ribbed nut that is subtended by a 3-lobed leaf-like bract that is 9/10" to 1 1/5" long. GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : American hornbeam is a native, deciduous small tree. you. Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. It is a member of the birch family and will have the male catkin flower buds present in the winter months. Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus Carpinus in the birch family Betulaceae. Figure 1. For details, please check with your state. The fruit is a nutlet that resembles a hop like fruit from hop vine. It is found throughout Ohio. It will grow with an attractive open habit in total shade, but be dense in full sun. The muscle-like bark is smooth, gray and fluted. Fruit: Small ribbed nutlet carried on a 3-lobed, slightly folded leafy bract that is 1 inch long (somewhat resembles a maple leaf), bracts are clustered on a long (4 to 6 inches) hanging stalk; ripen in late summer and fall, disperse through the winter. Hardiness zone 4. Carpinus caroliniana American Hornbeam 20′ – 30′. We depend on Hornbeam has alternate simple leaves, with fine teeth and tapering to a sharp point. The smooth silvery blue bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape. C. caroliniana Walt. VCE Publications & Other Online Resources, https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/american-hornbeam, https://www.omaha.com/eedition/sunrise/articles/american-hornbeams-show-the-upsides-to-planting-native-trees/article_b6dbad4f-3daf-5372-a38c-39865a9db99f.html, http://treebaltimore.org/tree-of-the-season-american-hornbeam/#.Xh0wFoh7nX4, http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2019/12/11/the-sinewy-american-hornbeam?rq=hornbeam, https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=h540, https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OSVI, https://www.uky.edu/hort/American-Hornbeam, https://campus.albion.edu/stowell-arboretum/musclewood-or-ironwood/, https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/carpinus-betulus, https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hornbeam/, https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plantinfo/pp/j, https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/hop_hornbeam.htm. var. Fern. to exist in the county by Fruit is arranged in dense, drooping clusters that can be seen from September to October. Sudworth The American Hornbeam has forest green foliage throughout the season. those considered historical (not seen in 20 years). unintentionally); has become naturalized. Ironwood has a slow growth rate and is reportedly difficult to transplant from a field nursery (although 10-inch-diameter trees were moved with a 90-inch tree spade during the winter in USDA hardiness zone 8b with … State documented: documented American hornbeam is a small tree of bottomland understories. The tree likes Sun to shade at the location and the soil should be fresh humus soils. Can you please help us? It produces small clusters of tan hop-like fruit from early fall to late winter. American hornbeam starts to produce fruit at the age of 15 years and continues until the age of 75 years. It produces small clusters of tan hop-like fruit from early fall to late winter. Exact status definitions can vary from state to The American hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana, is an inconspicuous tree that I had much difficulty identifying.It is relatively unknown today but once it had important uses in everyday life. Your help is appreciated. (Wetland indicator code: in part by the National Science Foundation. Our subspecies is Carpinus caroliniana Walt. donations to help keep this site free and up to date for Fruit is a 1/3-inch winged nutlet attached to three-lobed bracts. NH, With progress, most of these uses have become obsolete and the American hornbeam has become a … Also covers American Hornbeam is shade tolerant and perfect for spots which need a smaller tree but has shade. Landscape Uses would be anything from a shade tree to hedge to attract deer and birds for nut comsumption.Wildlife: The Hornbeam seeds, twigs and buds are a valued food source for deer, turkeys, ducks and squirrels. Carpinus betulus L. var. Take a photo and Squirrels, rabbits, and beaver eat the seeds, wood, and bark. The fruits are clustered on 3" to 6" long hanging stalks. Go Botany: Native Plant Trust image, please click it to see who you will need to contact. It is a native understory tree in forests in … The Hornbeam (Ironwood) tree is a popular one among the many types of ironwood deciduous trees. The American Hornbeam is one of the easiest hardwood trees to grow and thrives in a wider range of conditions than most other Hornbeam species. American Hornbeam or Musclewood. The leaves are alternate, 3–12 centimeters (1 ⁄4–4 ⁄4 in) long, with prominent veins giving a distinctive corrugated texture, and a serrated margin. This tree grows throughout the eastern United States, westward to eastern Texas and Oklahoma, and in southeastern Canada. The American hornbeam grows slowly, about 12” per year, reaching an average height and spread of 20-30′ over a life span of 50-150 years. ; C. virginiana (Marsh.) Winter twigs are very fine reddish brown in color with three bundle scars.