Hornbeam Tree

Our hornbeam trees are Carpinus caroliniana, the American hornbeam, a small native tree with smooth, muscle-like trunks, orange-red fall color and an easy temperament in shade. We ship it bare-root in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes, in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500, to landscapers and wholesale buyers who need a tough understory tree.

Hornbeam Tree Size, Zones and Sun

Hornbeam stays small, 20 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide, and it grows slowly. It's hardy in zones 3 to 9. It handles deep shade and partial shade, and it tolerates some sun if the soil stays moist. Clay, loam and sand all work, especially with plenty of organic matter, in acidic to neutral soil. It also forgives wet or occasionally flooded ground.

Hornbeam Bark, Leaves and Fall Color

The nickname musclewood comes from the bark: smooth, thin and bluish gray, stretched over fluted trunks that look like flexed muscle. The leaves are oval with finely double-toothed edges, and in fall they turn orange to red and burgundy. Male and female catkins open on the same tree in spring, and the seeds hang in autumn as small nutlets on three-lobed green bracts.

Hornbeam and Wildlife

Eastern tiger swallowtail and red-spotted purple caterpillars feed on hornbeam leaves. Songbirds, grouse, quail, wild turkeys, foxes and squirrels eat the seeds and buds, and the dense branching gives cover. Deer tend to leave it alone. Hornbeam is on our list of native trees that feed birds and pollinators.

Where to Plant Hornbeam

Plant it where taller trees leave shade: woodland edges, under an existing canopy, and the north and east sides of buildings. The multi-stemmed, oval to spreading shape suits it as a small specimen or a loose screen. Our guide to trees that give shade through the seasons shows other options for tricky shady spots. Because it casts light shade and stays small, other woodland plants do well beneath it.

Good to Know About Hornbeam

Hornbeam is sensitive to drought, heat and compacted soil, so mulch it and water through dry spells in the first few years. It grows slowly, so it won't make quick shade. Leaf spot, cankers and twig blight turn up occasionally.

Planting Hornbeam Bare-root

Soak the roots, then plant in loose, organic soil at the depth the tree grew. Hornbeam likes steady moisture, so a thick mulch ring and a deep watering each week through dry spells in the first two summers go a long way. Go easy on pruning. Hornbeam builds its muscular look from a natural multi-stem structure, and the tree is happiest when it's left to form it.

Hornbeam in the Landscape

We point people to hornbeam when a bigger tree wouldn't fit: a side yard, a courtyard, a dim corner against a building. It tops out under 30 feet, so there's no worry about it outgrowing the spot. Plant a row 15 to 20 feet apart and you get a loose screen rather than a hedge. And the orange-to-red fall color is a nice surprise in shady places where not much else does anything.

Hornbeam Tree Sizes, Packs and Shipping

Hornbeam trees ship bare-root in November, in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes and packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500. Volume pricing available. Browse more wholesale trees for sale.