American Hornbeam
The American Hornbeam tree, Carpinus caroliniana, is a shade tolerant under story tree. American Hornbeam trees are also known by the common names of Musclewood, Ironwood, Blue Beech, and Water Beech trees. The word "hornbeam" comes from the words "horn" for "toughness" and "beam" an old English word for "tree" and refers to this tree's very hard, tough, wood. This deciduous species provides nuts that are eaten by many birds such as grouse, bobwhite, pheasant and wild turkey. Cottontail rabbits and deer nibble on the shoots of this tree. Carpinus caroliniana exhibits leaves that are thin and beautifully translucent. This shade tree will provide cool, dense shade in the summer because of its many leaves giving a dense appearance. In late autumn the leaves turn deep scarlet and orange providing good fall color tree. ... find out more
Native American Plum The Native American Plum tree, Prunus americana, is also known as the Native Plum, Hedge Plum, Sloe or Wild Plum. Native American Plum trees are small, deciduous, single trunk trees or a multi-stemmed shrub which occurs in rocky or sandy soils in woodlands, pastures, abandoned farms, streams and hedgerows. As a shrub, it suckers freely and can form large colonies. The 2 to 5 inch white flowers appear in early spring before the foliage appears. Flowers are followed by edible, round, red plums with bright yellow pulp which ripen in early summer. This species is usually grown for ornamental value and not for fruit production, however. Although the plums can be eaten raw, the quality is somewhat poor. The fruits are perhaps better used for preserves and jellies. The leaves turn yellow to red in autumn for great fall color. Branches and twigs are an attractive dark reddish-brown.
