Typically growing into a large shrub or small tree, this species has been known to reach heights of 5-10 m (15-35 ft) and develop trunks 15-30 cm (6-12 in) in diameter. Carpinus caroliniana Walter – Betulaceae – birch family. The small nuts are edible, but seldom used by humans. As the name suggests, the wood will take a horn-like polish and was once used by early Americans to make bowls, tool handles, and ox yokes. The serviceberries have multiple stems and look more like shrubs, so concentrate on the tree-like plants with the gray muscly-looking bark! American hornbeam is also known as blue-beech, and musclewood. Noteworthy Characteristics. Another native Wisconsin tree (Ostrya virginiana), however, is also called "hophornbeam" or "ironwood" which refers to the incredible strength of the wood. Plant Profiles: HORT 2242 Landscape Plants II Botanical Name: Carpinus caroliniana Common Name: American hornbeam, blue beech, ironwood, musclewood Family Name: Betulaceae â birch family General Description: Carpinus caroliniana is a native large shrub to small tree that is widely distributed throughout eastern United States, south to Florida and Texas, and even into parts of Mexico. As nouns the difference between musclewood and hornbeam is that musclewood is (botany) a common name for the species carpinus caroliniana , a species of deciduous tree while hornbeam is a tree of the genus carpinus , having a smooth gray bark and a ridged trunk, the wood being white and very hard, common along the banks of streams in the united states. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and studied Forest Management. While Carpinus contains 25 species of trees, only the blue beech is native to North America. Britton, N.L., and A. Plant names are confusing. Carpinus caroliniana trees are a good lesson in the value of using scientific names when referring to different species of plants and animals. Eastern hop hornbeam is a small tree with wide, spreading branches. It is also called ironwood for its very dense timber. Blue beech is another name for American Hornbeam, also called ironwood and musclewood. The fruits are small nuts that ripen in mid-summer but are usually persistent until late fall after the leaves have fallen. With appealing nicknames like âBlue Beechâ and âIronwoodâ, it's a wonder why the American Hornbeam is not more widely used. I, personally, have had many long conversations with others about "ironwood" (or "hornbeam") only to find out well into the dialogue that the two of us were talking about totally different species of tree! From contributor G: In the central states, there are two native hornbeams, both also called ironwood. Michigan Flora Online. I, personally, have had many long conversations with others about "ironwood" (or "hornbeam") only to find out well into the dialogue that the two of us were ⦠University of Michigan [Internet]. In fact, early pioneers found these trees ideal for making mallets and other tools as well as bowls and dishes. Eastern Hop Hornbeam is also called ironwood. A.A. Reznicek, E.G. Boss, & B.S. American hornbeam is also called musclewood because of the sinewy appearance of its smooth gray bark. This species has many common names, but the common name Blue-Beech stems from its bark having a strikingly similar look to that of American Beech. It is located at N42.24329°, W084.72828°. Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is an attractive small tree that is common, but not abundant in its natural range. Michigan trees, revised and updated: a guide to the trees of the Great Lakes region. However it occupies different sites than the Hop-Hornbeam tree which is another understory species. She spent her childhood playing outside, and was inspired to work to preserve our region’s natural areas during camping trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness when she was in middle and high school. This southwestern tree lives in desert habitats and provides shade and food for many species. The smooth, gray bark of the musclewood covers a sinewy, rigid trunk which looks like flexed arm muscles (hence the common name of musclewood). This earned it the nickname âmusclewood.â Click here to see blue beech bark. It gets another common name, muscle tree, from the sinewy texture of its gray, fluted, smooth trunk. Hornbeams, also known as ironwood and musclewood, get their common names from their strong wood, which rarely cracks or splits. American hornbeam is typically an understory tree, most often found in bottomland forests, swamps, or along rivers and streams throughout much of the eastern United States. The bark is smooth, gray to bluish-gray, and ⦠Habitat: Grows on moist, rocky, wooded slopes. 1913. We also refer to Musclewood ⦠The smooth gray bark over an irregularly ridged trunk suggests a muscled limb thereby providing the basis for one of its common names, "musclewood". Musclewood and Ironwood, names thought to be interchangeable for the same plant species. Planted alongside of the arch are musclewoods and serviceberries! In Minnesota, it is found in the understory in forests of maple, basswood, oak, cherry and white birch. Musclewood is a relatively small, slow-growing, and short-lived tree which usually grows in the understory of our mixed-hardwood forests. Leaves are alternate, simple, blades 2½â4½ inches long, 1½â2½ inches wide, broadest at or below the middle; margin sharply and densely toothed; base often uneven; upper surface yellowish to dark green, dull; lower surface paler, hairy. It is one of several tree species called ironwood because their wood is so hard. Musclewood would be better suited as an ornamental tree or grown in more natural settings (i.e. That ironwood is also called musclewood and bluebeech. Plant in the spring. Would you like to see a musclewood up close and in person? have also performed well in community gravel beds and fall plantings if the root zone is covered with at least two inches of wood mulch before the ground freezes (12). The American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is a deciduous hardwood shade tree that's native to eastern North America.It is part of the Betulaceae (birch) family and has several nicknames, including blue beech, muscle beech, water beech, muscletree, musclewood, and ironwood. The scientific name can be used to clarify: the species I will be describing is Ostrya virginiana. I have learned my trees (in Illinois and North Carolina) and we refer to Hornbeam- Carpinus caroliniana as âMusclewoodâ, and Hop Hornbeam- Ostrya virginiana as âIronwoodâ. They are elliptical to oblong, sharp pointed, and the margins are sharply doubly serrated with larger teeth at the ends of veins. However there are no donation records for this species. November 1 - March 31Tue - Fri Noon - 6 p.m.Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Sun & Mon Closed, April 1 - October 31Tue - Thur Noon - 7 p.m.Friday Noon - 6 p.m.Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Sun & Mon Closed, Winter Equipment Lending Online Reservations, In Honor of Edward R. Wagner and Lewis G. Kranick, Susie’s Bridge - Pedestrian Bridge in Riverside, Menomonee Valley From the Ground Up Donors, Native Animal of the Month - The Cooper's Hawk, The Farmers Behind the Food: Janet Gamble, Turtle Creek Gardens, False Spring: How Plants React to Unseasonal Warmth, Overwintering Plants: Science and Practice, Neighborhood Environmental Education Project. To have an upright cultivar with all these attributes is Come to our Riverside Park location and walk to the iron arch on the northwest corner of the building, just past the climbing wall. Walters. [cited 9 May-2016]. It can be found naturally in areas with moist soil including streambanks, riverbanks, and maritime forests. The reference to muscle relates to the tree's characteristic fluted trunk and branches that look like muscle tissue. Carpinus caroliniana is also known as musclewood, ironwood, blue beech, and american hornbeam. They are apetalous, meaning they lack petals, and they are borne in catkins. What is the evolutionary advantage of losing not only your leaves in the fall, but also up to an inch of branch? However Musclewood is not a true beech species. Its common name, musclewood, comes from its attractive blue-gray bark, fluted with long, sinewy ridges.The extremely hard wood of this tree inspires another common name, ironwood (a name shared with the American hop hornbeam). Dark patches may occur on the bark due to the muscle like ridges that are characteristic of the trunks of this species. A closely related tree, the blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana), also carries the hornbeam and ironwood names. Flowers bloom in April-May as the leaves develop. Walters. Hop hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana, has light brown shreddy bark and gets the hop hornbeam name from the cluster of overlapping seed pods which resemble a cone of fruits on a hop vine. This phenomenon is present in lots of trees like basswood, elm, and hackberry and is called shoot-tip abortion. Ostrya virginiana is a complete different plant species; it is the "true ironwood" and is also known as american hophornbeam. Copyright © 2020 The Urban Ecology Center. February 2011. It's an amazing question that people have been trying to answer since the phenomenon was first discovered in 1822. Carpinus caroliniana, or Blue Beech, is a member of Betulaceae (the birch family). Information about the common street trees of Albion, Michigan [Internet]. Ironwood firewood is commonly used as a blanket term for several different types of dense firewood producing trees. February 2011. We restore hope and heal our urban natural world, neighborhood by neighborhood. This species has many common names, but the common name Blue-Beech stems from its bark having a strikingly similar look to that of American Beech. Musclewood is a synonym of hornbeam. As nouns the difference between ironwood and musclewood is that ironwood is (countable) any of a number of tree species known for having a particularly solid wood while musclewood is a common name for the species carpinus caroliniana , a species of deciduous tree. American hornbeam is a small tree of bottomland understories. Available from: http://michiganflora.net/home.aspx. [cited 9 May-2016]. Authors are solely responsible for the content and accuracy of their sites, including opinions they express, Available from: Skean JD, Nobert HA, Martin LC. Carpinus caroliniana, the American hornbeam, is a small hardwood tree in the genus Carpinus. Albion Trees. In landscapes, it works well as a small shade tree and in shady, naturalized woodlands. Another very cool thing about Carpinus carolinana especially at this time of year is that they have pseudo-terminal buds. Leaves are alternate, simple, and borne singly on short shoots in two rows. Blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana), also called musclewood or American hornbeam, is a small, slow-growing tree, native to Minnesota and the eastern U.S. Why do trees do this? Ann Arbor, MI: Univ. All of these make excellent hot ans long burning firewood. References: Barnes BV, Wagner, WH Jr. 2004. 4 m tall, and was in fair condition due to a wound at the base of the tree. Caitlin Reinartz is the Forester at the Urban Ecology Center Riverside Park branch, working primarily on the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum. The edges of the leaves are doubly serrate, which means that the serrations on the edge of the leaf have their own serrations. 3 vols. The bark of this tree is thin, bluish-gray, and smooth. Its other common name Ironwood is used to describe the dense, tough wood of this species. It is too dense to float in water, but burns at a high temperature. Peattie, Donald C. 1948. This species is highly shade-tolerant, slow growing, and short lived. The foliage, bark, and fruits are important food for lots of different songbirds, as well as squirrels, grouse, turkeys, foxes, cottontails, and beavers. The sinewy appearance of the trunk accounts for one of its common names, musclewood. University of Michigan [Internet]. Carpinus spp. The leaf blades are 5-10 cm (2-4 in) long and 2-4 cm (0.75-1.5 in) wide. The “female” catkins are 1.2-1.9 cm (0.5-0.75 in) long and have hairy, greenish scales. The simple, alternate leaves are more or less doubly toothed, or at least the teeth are often of various sizes giving an irregular appearance. American Hornbeam, Musclewood, or Ironwood, is a deciduous tree that may grow 30 to feet tall. Boston (MA): Houghton Mifflin Company 606 p. Skean JD, Nobert HA, Martin LC. Carpinus fruits are also incredibly beautiful; composed of a series of hanging bracts (modified leaves that are usually associated with a fruiting structure). Carpinus caroliniana are called "musclewood," "ironwood," or "American Hornbeam" interchangeably. Blue beechâs official name is American hornbeam without the âhop.â Its bark looks very different: smooth, blue-gray and muscular. Instead of just losing their leaves in the fall, they lose their leaves and also the very tip of each shoot so that the bud that looks like the terminal (end) bud is actually the outermost axillary (lateral or side) bud. Squirrels, rabbits, and beaver eat the seeds, wood, and bark. When measured on 24 May 2016, this tree had a diameter at breast height of <2.5 cm, was ca. 2014. They hang off the very tip of the branches and blow prettily in the breeze until they are dispersed by birds and insects. In North America there are numerous trees called "Ironwood", here in the East it is usually the American Hornbeam, which is in the beech family (also goes by musclewood, and several other slang) heavy dense, understory tree (not nearly as dense and substantial as western Desert Ironwood). We connect people in cities to nature and each other. It is no surprise that the strong wood of this tree has given it several other common names; American hornbeam, musclewood, and ironwood. It is another important sub-dominant tree that makes up the understory layer of the forest. The name hornbeam refers to the genuine strength of its wood â it is one of the hardest and strongest woods in North America. The leaves are alternate with a doubly toothed margin. Tolerates dry, shady sites. It is native to eastern North America, from Minnesota and southern Ontario east to Maine, and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida. It has many common names, the most common include: blue beech because of its very smooth gray bark, and musclewood referring to its muscle-like branches which are irregularly fluted. The desert ironwood tree of Arizona produces one of the heaviest woods in the world. Musclewood comes from the muscular look of the trunk. 2014. Musclewood has many great characteristics: hardiness, pest and insect resistance, lovely bark and limbs, alkaline soil tolerance, 2â to 4â flowers of pendulous leafy green bracts, and superb fall color. Boss, & B.S. That confusion could have easily been avoided had we used the tree's scientific name right off the bat. A natural history of trees of eastern and central North America. Its other common name Ironwood is used to describe the dense, tough wood of this species. Depending on where you live Blue Beech, American Hophornbeam, Eastern Hophornbeam and even Musclewood (due to its twisted trunk and resemblance to a muscle) are names given to describe "Ironwood" which makes identifying the tree somewhat confusing. Native to Midwestern forests, s ome may consider it too common for widespread use, but a closer look is warranted. [cited 9 May-2016]. Please direct questions or comments to websupport@albion.edu. “Male” catkins are not visible until spring, typically 2.5-4 cm (1-1.75 in) long, and are greenish in color. maple-basswood forests). An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Information about the common street trees of Albion, Michigan [Internet]. Difficult to transplant due to deep spreading lateral roots. No one knows! Albion Trees. Muscelwood is a species that is native to Michigan. Available from. They are small trees that serve many purposes in the home landscape. Ironwood tree leaves fall ⦠The leaves of Carpinus caroliniana are shaped like a long oval (referred to in botanical books as an oblong ovate shape) with a pointed tip and a base that is often uneven. Seems pretty uniform across the board with the other arborists in my field that Iâve come encountered. Caitlin is a firm believer that Wisconsin is the best and most beautiful state in the union. Trees are monecious meaning that both “male” and “female” flowers are present on each tree. This is not completely true. However Musclewood is not a true beech species. The flowers are wind-pollinated. Ironwood makes excellent firewood because it cures well and burns hot. Carpinus caroliniana, commonly called 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). Brown. Detailed Description: Plant habit and life style. [cited 9 May-2016]. It also grows in Canada (southwest Quebec and southeast Ontario). Michigan Press 447 p. Michigan Flora Online. and Albion College disclaims any and all liability for that content, its accuracy, and opinions it may contain. Our vision is to inspire generations to build environmental curiosity, understanding, and respect. is that ironwood is (uncountable) the wood of any ironwood tree while musclewood is (uncountable) the wood of this species. There is one Musclewood mapped in the arboretum. Available from: http://campus.albion.edu/albiontrees/. Barnes BV, Wagner, WH Jr. 2004. One beautiful and interesting native Wisconsin tree which will, like more than 70 other native tree species, be planted as a part of the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum project is Carpinus caroliniana or musclewood. Another native Wisconsin tree (Ostrya virginiana), however, is also called "hophornbeam" or "ironwood" which refers to the incredible strength of the wood. A.A. Reznicek, E.G. Carpinus caroliniana are called "musclewood," "ironwood," or "American Hornbeam" interchangeably. Of Albion, Michigan [ Internet ] when referring to different species of plants and animals trees., simple, and short-lived tree which is another important sub-dominant tree that is common, but also up an! Deciduous tree that makes up the understory of our mixed-hardwood forests works well as bowls and.! Trees, only the blue beech bark Click here to see a musclewood up close and in,! Is american hornbeam is also called musclewood because of the sinewy appearance its. 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For several different types of dense firewood producing trees hackberry and is also known ironwood... Of its smooth gray bark burns at a high temperature fluted, smooth trunk that ironwood is to! And white birch ( i.e scientific name right off the bat small tree of bottomland understories question that people been... Lives in desert habitats and provides shade and food for many species different of... That Iâve come encountered the University of Wisconsin-Madison and studied forest Management and and. Ends of veins appearance of the sinewy appearance of its gray, fluted, smooth trunk not only your in... Cm ( 1-1.75 in ) long and 2-4 cm musclewood vs ironwood 0.75-1.5 in ) wide smooth.
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