Quercus

American Hornbeam

Carpinus caroliniana

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

76CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Carpinus

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
  • Acronicta laetificaPleasant Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Amorpha juglandisWalnut Sphinx
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Ancylis divisanaTwo-Toned Ancylis
  • Anisota virginiensisPink-striped Oakworm Moth
Show all 76
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
  • Apoda biguttataShagreened Slug Moth
  • Apoda y-inversumYellow-Collared Slug Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
  • Besma endropiariaStraw Besma
  • Cameraria corylisellaHazel Blotchminer
  • Cameraria ostryarellaHornbeam Leafminer
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
  • Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
  • Coleophora atromarginataPistol Casebearer, American Pistol Casebearer Moth
  • Colocasia flavicornisYellowhorn, Saddled Yellowhorn
  • Colocasia propinquilineaClosebanded Yellowhorn
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Heterocampa pulvereaWhite-Blotched Heterocampa
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hypena palpariaMottled Bomolocha, Variegated Snout
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
  • Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
  • Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
  • Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
  • Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
  • Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
  • Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Olethreutes appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Packardia geminataJeweled Tail Slug Moth
  • Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
  • Pyreferra citrombraEyed Mustard Sallow, Citrine Sallow
  • Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
  • Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Zale minereaColorful Zale
  • Caloptilia ostryaeella
  • Coleophora ostryae
  • Dichomeris ventrellus
  • Ectoedemia quadrinotata
  • Menesta tortriciformella
  • Stigmella corylifoliella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Carpinus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Carpinus

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Betulaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow or green
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Several stems
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Hornbeam; Blue Beech; Musclewood

Conservation status

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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