American Hornbeam, Musclewood
Carpinus caroliniana
- 5 available.
- Inventory on the way
- Guaranteed locally grown
- Delivery ONLY to Metro Atlanta & Athens within 5-7 business days
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Pickup in 3-5 business days from our Switchyard in Chamblee
(Mon & Fri 3pm-6pm - 3708 N Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA)


American Hornbeam is a small slow-growing native deciduous tree with a global habit. Its smooth grey bark and thick branches have distinct muscle like fluting when mature. The oval dark green foliage turn yellow and orange in the fall. Separate male (white) and female (green) catkins bloom in early spring and the female catkins give way to distinct clusters of winged nutlets. Prefers rich moist soils.
Type: |
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Origins: |
Eastern N. America, GA Native |
Height: |
20' - 35' |
Spread: |
20' - 35' |
Spacing: |
25’ |
USDA Hardiness Zone: |
3 - 9 |
Culture: |
|
Bloom Color: |
White (male), Green (female) |
Season of Interest: |
MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance plant. Leaf spots, cankers and twig blight are occasional disease problems.
LANDSCAPE USES: Specimen planting or Grove, Wetlands and ponds, Woodland Garden, Naturalized Areas, Native Garden, Screening, and Shade Tree.
COMPANION PLANTS: Serviceberry, Elderberry, Viburnum
IMAGES: Richard Webb, Bugwood.org, USA, Carpinus caroliniana trunk, CC BY 3.0 US, (2) Mohamed Rezk, A15-2-Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam), CC BY-SA 3.0, (3) Mohamed Rezk, A15-1-Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam), CC BY-SA 3.0, (4) Photo by Toni Genberg, American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)
*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.