T r e e s  o f  N o r t h  C a r o l i n a

Carpinus L. (Betulaceae)

A genus of about twenty-six species of trees; of temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, extending southward to se. Asia and Central America. The smooth gray bark gives Carpinus the names "water-beech" and "blue-beech", the fluted, sinewy appearance of the trunk the name "muscle-tree", and the very hard, heavy wood the name "ironwood."

One species occurs in North Carolina, Carpinus caroliniana (Hornbeam, ironwood). It is considered native.

Bark of Carpinus caroliniana
Bark of Carpinus caroliniana (Copyright W. Cook)
Twig of Carpinus caroliniana
Twig of Carpinus caroliniana (Photo: A. Krings, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Leaves of Carpinus caroliniana
Leaves of Carpinus caroliniana (Copyright W. Cook)
Flowers of Carpinus caroliniana
Flowers of Carpinus caroliniana (Copyright W. Cook)
Fruit of Carpinus caroliniana
Fruit of Carpinus caroliniana (Copyright W. Cook)
N.C. distribution of Carpinus caroliniana
N.C. distribution of Carpinus caroliniana

Carpinus caroliniana (Hornbeam, ironwood)
(Common; streambanks, riverbanks, bottomland forests, lower slopes, maritime forests, rich cove forests; Mt, Pd, CP; Fl: Mar-Apr, Fr: Sept-Oct)