Carpinus caroliniana - Blue Beech/Musclewood - Field Production
Carpinus caroliniana - Blue Beech/Musclewood - Fall Colour
Carpinus caroliniana - Blue Beech/Musclewood - Photo courtesy of J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.

Blue Beech/Musclewood

Carpinus caroliniana

Also called Blue Beech, American Hornbeam, American Carpinus

  • Rounded to oval crown with wide spreading branches
  • Attractive yellow or green catkins
  • Catkins turn into distinctive clusters of winged nutlets
  • Serrated dark green leaves in the summer turn yellow, orange and red in the fall
  • Smooth gray bark has distinctive muscle-like fluting
  • Bloom Time: Early spring

ZONE:
3

COLOUR:
Green

HEIGHT:
8-10 m

SPREAD:
8-10 m

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Growing and Maintenance Tips:


A relatively low-maintenance plant; attractively shaped understorey tree for shady sites. Suitable for lawns or naturalized in woodland areas. Available as a multi-stemmed clump or tree form.

Additional Notes about Blue Beech/Musclewood:


Native to Ontario and parts of North America.

Characteristics & Attributes


GROWTH RATE:
Medium
FLOWERING TIME:
Early Spring
FOLIAGE COLOR:
Orange
Yellow
Green
Red