Carpinus caroliniana
American Hornbeam, Blue Beech, Ironwood, Musclewood
Eastern US, Nova Scotia south to Florida, west to Minnesota and Texas
Deep, moist, rich,slightly acid soils
Screens, hedge grouping, clean specimen of a street tree. It has a pleasant fall color show early in the season. Older trees have irregularly fluted bark that resembles flexed biceps, hence the tree's comon name Musclewood.
Alternate, simple, 2.5 to 5 inch long, 1 to 2 inch wide, ovate-oblong shape, acuminate apex, margin is sharp and double serrate, base rounded or heart shaped. Yellow to orange fall color.: fall:fall:reddish orange in fall:fall
Buds are imbricate small .25 inch long 4-ranked scales, narrow ovate to oblong shape, pointed reddish brown-black buds. Scales are often downy on edges.
Smooth, thick, dark gray.
Monoecious. Male 1 to 1.5 inch long, female 2 to 4 inch long.
Small bibbed, irregular 3 lobed bract, 1 inch long, green to yellow-green to brown mature.
