The genus Carpinus is represented by about 30 species which grow in the New World [1] and Eurasia [30]. Carpinus is the classical Latin name.

Carpinus betulus avenbok, carpe, carpe blanco, carpen, carpino biannco, charme, charme commun, charme comun, charrlle, charrlle commun, common hornbeam, dyed hornbeam, European hornbeam, gemeine-weib-buche, gem weissbuche, gewone haagbeuk, grab, gyertyan, haagbeuk, habr obecny, hagabuche, hage-buche, hain­buche, hojaranzo, hornbaum, hornbeam, horn-buche, steinbuch, vitavenbok, vit-bok, weissbuche, witch elmCarpinus caroliniana        American hornbeam, blue beech, broomwood, hophornbeam,

ironwood, musclewood, o-tan-tahr-te-weh, smoothbark ironwood, water beech

 

Carpinus carpinoides hornbeam, kuma-shide

Carpinus caucasia caucasian hornbeam

Carpinus cordata ggachibagdal, Russian hornbeam, sawashiba

Carpinus distegocarpus kuma-shide

Carpinus hebestroma taroko-sidi

Carpinus japonica kuma-shide, soya

Carpinus laxiflora aka-shide, hornbeam, seo-namu, soro shide

Carpinus orientalis carpinella, charme d’orient, eastern hornbeam, hojaranzo, oosterse

haagbeuk, oriental hornbeam, orientalisk avenbok

Carpinus polyneura Chinese hornbeam

Carpinus pubescens giau do

Carpinus rankanensis rankan-side

Carpinus schuschaensis Iran hornbeam

Carpinus seki Taiwan-akashide

Carpinus tschonoskii gaeseo-namu, inu-shide, Korean hornbeam

Distribution: North America, from central Maine to southern Quebec, southern Ontario, northern Iowa, Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, eastern Texas, and east to central Florida. Northeastern Mexico (Tamaulipas) and from southern Mexico to Guatemala and Honduras.

The Tree: The American hornbeam is a small tree that can reach a height of 13–26 ft (4–8 m), with a diameter of 4–12 inches (10–30 cm) that grows in mixed deciduous forests in the shade of taller hardwoods in bottom lands and river margins. It grows in association with oaks, sweetgum, hickories, maple and basswood. The tree grows slowly and is short lived. It masts every 3 to 5 years, producing large amounts of seed. Imperfect flowers are produced on separate catkins on the same tree.

General Wood Characteristics: The tree’s name (horn=tough and beam~baum=tree) describes the wood, which is tough, hard and heavy. Colonial settlers in America used horn­beam for bowls and dishes because it rarely split or cracked. Hornbeam has a thick, nearly white sapwood and a heartwood that is pale yellow to tan. It has no characteristic odor or taste. The wood is heavy and hard.

Mechanical propertiesa

 

Kiln Drying Schedule: British Schedule E (31).

Working Properties: Hornbeam is difficult to work. Durability: The wood is nonresistant to heartwood decay. Preservation: No information available at this time.

Uses: Tool handles, levers, parts for farm machinery, fuel wood. Toxicity: The wood is said to have irritant effects

Drying and shrinkagea,b

 

a Hornbeam checks and warps severely in seasoning

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