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American Hornbeam

Carpinus caroliniana

69
Strong

Native to West 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

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

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

Recorded in 19 West Virginia counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 103 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (49)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

75CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Carpinus

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
  • Acronicta griseaGray Dagger
  • Acronicta laetificaPleasant Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Amorpha juglandisWalnut Sphinx
  • Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
  • Ancylis divisanaTwo-Toned Ancylis
Show all 75
  • Anisota virginiensisPink-striped Oakworm Moth
  • 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
  • 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
  • Macaria exauspicataSpeckled Granite
  • 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
  • Xylena curvimaculaDot-and-Dash Swordgrass Moth
  • Zale minereaColorful Zale
  • 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 eating Carpinus in West Virginia

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes West Virginia, most records first.

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. 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

Birds that eat Carpinus 1

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

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

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources