BLUE BEECH OR HORNBEAM (_Carpinus caroliniana_)

Distinguishing characters: The *fluted* or muscular effect of its
*trunk* will distinguish the tree at a glance, Fig. 54.

Leaf: Doubly serrated; otherwise the same as that of ironwood.

Form and size: A low-spreading tree with branches arching out at various
angles, forming a flattened head with a fine, slender spray.

Range: Very common in the eastern United States.

Soil and location: Grows in low wet woods.

Enemies: None of importance.

Value for planting: Its artistic branching and curious trunk give the
tree an important place in park planting.

Commercial value: None.

Other characters: The bark is smooth and bluish gray in color.

Comparisons: The blue beech or hornbeam is often confused with the
_ironwood_ or _hop hornbeam_ (_Ostrya virginiana_). The ironwood,
however, has a characteristic bark that peels in perpendicular,
short, thin segments, often loose at the ends. See Fig. 55. This is
entirely different from the close, smooth, and fluted bark of the