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Hornbeam is a small, slow-growing, and short-lived tree that
occupies the forest understory. It is also known as ironwood
or bluebeech and is in the birch family, Betulaceae. Hornbeam
grows in moist rich soils of bottomland hardwoods and edges of
swamps and rivers. It is found throughout the midwestern and
eastern United States from central Florida to southeastern Canada. Its common name is derived from the tough characteristic of its wood. "Horn" meaning tough and "beam" meaning tree in German. However, tool handles for hammers and levers have been made from the hard wood. Pioneers used hornbeam to make bowls and dishes because it is durable against cracking and splitting. The bark is another feature used to distinguish between these two birches. Hophornbeam has loose strips of reddish brown to gray creating a rough, "clawed" bark. Hornbeam has a smooth bark with an undulating texture resembling a "muscular" appearance. |
 Twigs and leaves |
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Hornbeam can be confused with another member of the birch family, hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana). The fruits are key diagnostic traits. Hophornbeam has drooping clusters of bladder-like sacs that hold very small nuts. By contrast, each of the small hornbeam nuts is surrounded by 2 or 3 lobed leaf-like bracts in hanging stalks. The leaves of hornbeam are also usually more fuzzy than hophornbeam. |
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