Carpinus caroliniana
Musclewood
Musclewood owes its common name to the sinewy and muscular look of its trunk. Also called blue beech, American hornbeam and ironwood, Musclewood is in the birch family and has similar leaves and catkins. This is an understory tree, meaning it grows below the canopy of the dominant tree species here such as red oak, sugar maple and beech. It generally reaches heights of no more than 35 feet. Musclewood is a tree species that likes its “feet wet,” and can often be found in areas of the forest with moist soil or near creeks. In the fall, the leaves of Musclewood turn a variety of colors, from yellow to orange-red to reddish purple and gold.