Once you learn to recognize ironwood’s distinctive, smooth, muscular gray trunk, you will discover that this small tree is widespread in the understory of Herrontown Woods. 

Description: American Hornbeams grow 20-40 feet high and 10-24 inches in diameter. Leaves are egg shaped and double-toothed with pointed tips. They are alternately placed, measure between 1-5 inches and turn orange or red in the fall. The bark is distinctively muscular-appearing, smooth and dark gray, giving the trunk a deeply rippled and sinewy look. Twigs are variably hairy and buds are brown and somewhat square in cross section. Flowers are yellowish-green catkins (male flower) and 3-lobed bracts (female flower) that appear on the same tree in spring. Fruits are bean-like, measuring up to 22" inches and mature from green to dark brown in the fall.

Similar species: The bark of beech trees is also smooth, but is a  lighter gray, lacks the sinewy look, and the trees get much larger.

Wildlife Value: While the wildlife value is considered to be generally low, the catkins are occasionally eaten by ruffed grouse, ring-necked pheasants, and quail. The nutlets are eaten by these birds as well as by yellow-rumped warblers and by foxes and squirrels.

Uses: The extremely hard wood of this tree takes a horn-like polish (hence the name) and was once used by early Americans to make bowls, tool handles, and ox yokes. 

Commercial use of hornbeam wood is not practicable, however, due to the limited amount of wood that can be harvested per tree.