Plant: American Hornbeam Tree

Plant description

American hornbeam is a deciduous tree in the birch family native to eastern North America, found naturally on moist ground along streambanks, riverbanks and in maritime forests. It grows slowly to about 20 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide as a clumping, multi stemmed understory tree, with doubly serrate leaves that turn orange and red in fall and smooth bluish gray bark fluted like a flexed muscle. Spring catkins give way to small nutlets on leafy three lobed bracts that feed songbirds, grouse, turkeys and squirrels. It tolerates deep shade, wet soil, dry soil, black walnut and urban conditions.

Flowers

Monoecious, with male catkins 1 to 2.5 inches long and female catkins about three quarters of an inch long carrying 3 lobed bracts.

Foliage

Alternate, simple, 2.5 to 5 inches long, ovate oblong and doubly serrate, with a dull bluish green surface and a paler underside.

Fruit

The nutlet is a third of an inch long and is attached to a leaf like, 3 lobed green scale that helps it to be carried by the wind.

Bark & stems

Smooth, tight, thin and bluish gray stretched over an irregularly ridged trunk; older branches develop a slate gray, smooth, irregularly fluted appearance similar to a flexed bicep muscle.

Light

Dappled/Filtered Light, Deep Shade

Native range

E. Canada to SE. U.S.A., NC

Plant details