PlantFiles: American Hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana

This tree also grows in Virginia frequently in the same terrain as beech. The old folks also called it iron wood. In those those day we split fence posts out of chestnut oak. This was done with a maul and wedge. Because they were expensive most folks only used two steel wedges. Wooden wedges call "gluts" were cut from iron wood (hornbeam) to hold an opening so the steel wedge could be moved to a new position. Also made great firewood.

Because of the unusually hard wood, this tree is known throughout Florida as "Ironwood."
The smooth bark and fluted trunk resemble muscles, thus the nickname "muscle tree."

cultural notes: soak seeds in warm water and let stand in water for 24 hours. Warm stratify 60 days, cold stratify for 90 days. Sow seed 1/8" deep, tamp down the soil and mulch.

Note: Sporadic germination may occur over a 2-3 year period.

American hornbeam is a slow-growing, deciduous, small to medium-sized understory tree with an attractive globular form. 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). Typically grows 20-35' tall. The smooth, gray trunk and larger branches of a mature tree exhibit a distinctive muscle-like fluting that has given rise to another common name of musclewood for this tree. Flowers appear in spring in separate male and female catkins, with the female catkins giving way to distinctive clusters of winged nutlets. Serrated, elliptic-oval, dark green leaves often produce respectable shades of yellow, orange and red in fall.

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.