The American Hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana, is a beautiful and very much underused native tree. Some of its common names are musclewood, hornbeam, and blue-beech. The name “hornbeam” comes from the extreme hardness of the wood.
It is a slow growing, deciduous tree that is perfect for the part shade to shade area of your garden. It matures at 25 – 30 feet tall and wide. It grows naturally as an understory tree, so plant it beneath larger oaks, maples, etc. Can handle periodic flooding, so go on ahead and put it in your rain garden, low spots, next to the pond, etc. However, it does not like extended flooding. Don’t plant it a very dry, very sunny spot.
Its native habitat is in river floodplains in loamy, sandy, or clay soils.
In early spring, racemes of yellow-green flowers bloom. The flowers are pretty, but they aren’t extremely showy. After blooming, the flowers turn into a small nutlet/seed.
This can be grown as a single- or multi-trunk tree. The bark is bluish-gray, thin, fairly smooth, and heavily fluted. You’ll also get fall color from this tree when its leaves turn a gorgeous orange to scarlet color.
Not only is this tree beautiful, it will also bring the butterflies and birds to your garden. It is a host plant for: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Striped hairstreak, and Red-spotted Purple butterfly. Is moderately deer resistant, which means the deer might nibble a bit if they’re really hungry, but shouldn’t bother it too much. Birds and critters love to eat the nutlet/seed.
Choose the spot for this wisely because it doesn’t like to be moved especially once established. Try to disturb the roots as little as possible when planting it.
These are not tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water, and it has low to no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.
I have in stock one 7-gallon, $52, 5 – 6 feet tall, and one 3-gallon, $20, 2 – 3 feet tall. I’ll have more of the 3-gallon and 7-gallon sizes as soon as my suppliers have them ready. Click here, American Hornbeam, to go to its description page to place your order.
Happy diggin’ in the dirt!
Jeanni and Ziva
Bella Jardins Boutique
Beautiful Gardens Begin Here