American Hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana
Also known as: Musclewood, Ironwood
A small, slow-growing understory tree renowned for its smooth, steel-gray bark fluted with sinewy, muscle-like ridges. Deep green summer foliage turns brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and red in autumn. Highly shade-tolerant and capable of handling damp, seasonally flooded soils.
- Family
- Betulaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 20–35 ft
- Spacing
- 20–35 ft apart
- Light
- part shade, shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May
- Bloom colors
- red, green, brown
- Wildlife value
- songbirds, butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~68 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- naturalizing, rain garden
- Native states
- 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