American Hornbeam

Carpinus caroliniana

Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 20–30 feet
Spread: 20–35 feet
Light: Deep shade, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 27.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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Carpinus caroliniana — leaf photograph — Photo by and (c)2005 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man) · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Mid spring
Fruiting season: Summer to fall

Recorded in 102 Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 159 animals.

Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Swamp Sparrow
Melospiza georgiana
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Coot
Fulica americana
Birds. 3 shared habitats
American Tree Sparrow
Spizella arborea
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Blue-headed Vireo
Vireo solitarius
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Chuck-will's-widow
Caprimulgus carolinensis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Blackburnian Warbler
Dendroica fusca
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Canada Warbler
Wilsonia canadensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Northern Waterthrush
Seiurus noveboracensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Sora
Porzana carolina
Birds. 2 shared habitats
White-winged Crossbill
Loxia leucoptera
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Bank Swallow
Riparia riparia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Brewer's Blackbird
Euphagus cyanocephalus
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

75CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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 75

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
Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
Cenopis niveanaAproned Cenopis Moth
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
Epirrita autumnataThe Autumnal Moth, November 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
Acrobasis carpinivorella
Acrobasis ostryella
Caloptilia ostryaeella
Dichomeris ventrellus
Menesta tortriciformella

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)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

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

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Mid spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “20–30 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “20–35 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Blue Beech; Musclewood

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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American Hornbeam

At a glance

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Carpinus