Tree · Betulaceae Draft — unreviewed
American hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana Walter
Also called musclewood, ironwood.
Shade-tolerant small native tree with smooth, sinewy gray bark and orange to red fall colour. Suits woodland edges and narrow side yards.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 6–9 m (20–30 ft) tall and 6–9 m (20–30 ft) wide; slow growth, about 35 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.12) from the #15 install size.
Design notes
- One of few small trees that thrive in shade and periodically wet soil.
- Slow to establish; plant container-grown stock.
Regions
Native range: Eastern North America.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Red maple
Acer rubrum · Tree · 12–18 m (39–59 ft)
Sugar maple
Acer saccharum · Tree · 15–22 m (49–72 ft)
Downy serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea · Tree · 5–8 m (16–26 ft)
River birch
Betula nigra · Tree · 12–18 m (39–59 ft)
Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis · Tree · 6–9 m (20–30 ft)
White fringetree
Chionanthus virginicus · Tree · 4–6 m (13–20 ft)
Plan with American hornbeam
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.