American Hornbeam (Musclewood)

Illustration of American hornbeam leaves and fruits.
Scientific Name
Carpinus caroliniana
Family
Betulaceae (birches)
Description

American hornbeam is a tall shrub or small tree, to 35 feet tall, with pendulous branches and a gray trunk that is fluted into musclelike ridges.

Leaves are simple, alternate, 2–5 inches long, 1–2 inches wide, with upper surface bluish green, dull; undersurface paler, mostly smooth, or with hairs in vein axils only, margins with small sharp teeth.

Bark is smooth, tight, thin, bluish gray, sometimes blotched, fluted into muscle-like ridges, hence the common name “musclewood.”

Twigs are slender, gray or red, zigzag, with small buds.

Flowers April–May; in catkins, with male and female on the same twig.

Fruit in long, hanging clusters of paired 3-lobed bracts (modified leaves), with each pair of bracts having a nutlet at its base.

Other Common Names
Blue Beech
Size

Height: to 35 feet.

Where To Find
image of American Hornbeam Musclewood Distribution Map

Found nearly throughout the state, except for the northern and eastern sections where trees cover less of the landscape. Cultivated statewide.

American hornbeam is a common indicator plant of Missouri’s upland forests. It is found in north-facing bluffs, rich woods at bases of bluffs, rocky slopes along streams, ravine bottoms, low wooded valleys, and moist woodlands. It is an understory tree that rarely grows much higher than 20 feet in the wild and often grows in clumps of several trunks.

Native Missouri tall shrub or small tree. Very popular native plant for landscaping, with high ornamental, shade, and wildlife value.

Musclewood is one of Missouri's most popular native trees for landscaping. It makes a good shade tree, its sinewy, smooth gray bark adds real interest, and the leaves are attractive in summer and fall.

Because it is exceptionally strong and hard, the wood has been made into golf clubs, handles, fuels, cogs, levers, wedges, and more.

The seed is eaten by birds, including bobwhite and wild turkey, and the catkins and buds are a primary food source for ruffed grouse.

Mammals ranging from rodents and rabbits to fox and deer browse the seeds, bark, wood, and twigs.

Media Gallery
Illustration of American hornbeam leaves and fruits.
American hornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana.
Paul Nelson
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Image of an american hornbeam bark
MDC Staff
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american hornbeam leaf
MDC Staff
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Illustration of American hornbeam leaves and fruits.
Image of an american hornbeam bark
american hornbeam leaf
Similar Species

Where to See Species

Natural bridge at Clifty Creek
Clifty Creek Conservation Area
Clifty Creek Conservation Area and Clifty Creek Natural Area are adjacent to one another and combined offer the public 486 acres in Maries County to enjoy.
About Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines in Missouri
There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground.