hornbeam

[Tim Keenan & Rebecca Counts]

Stephen and James:

The thing here is that each must know what the other means by hornbeam.  
There are two very different trees in eastern North America with the 
common name "hornbeam". They are both in the hazelnut family 
(Corylaceae). One is _Ostrya_ _virginiana_, known colloquially as 
hop-hornbeam, hornbeam, or ironwood.  The other is _Carpinus_ 
_caroliniana_, known colloquially as hornbeam, ironwood, or blue-beech.  
Both are rather small trees.  O. virginiana occasionally reaches 60' and 
2' in diameter, but is more commonly up to 40' and about 1' in diameter. 
 C. caroliniana reaches only about twenty feet and 10 inches in diameter. 
 The wood of both species is very hard, dense, and strong, but that of O. 
virginiana is known for extreme toughness, like that of hickory, and has 
interlocked grain like hickory (which probably contributes to the 
toughness, and suitability for things like pick and axe handles).  To 
further complicate matters, there are two european species with the same 
common name, and they are members of the same two genera:  _Carpinus_ 
_betulus_, and _Ostrya_ _vulgaris_.  I don't have any information on them 
readily available.  It may be that any of these species would suffice for 
your purpose. Maybe not, though.  Certainly what is known in Canada as 
poplar (a member of the Willow family) would not be at all suitable for 
many of the uses to which the American "poplar" or "yellow-poplar" (a 
member of the Magnolia family) is put.  I know that had Socrates drunk a 
decoction of what we in North America call hemlock, the course of Greek 
history might have been somewhat different.

I must agree that A&M has a terrific selection of all kinds of wood--I 
used to go there to browse just for the all the exotic smells!  I would 
imagine that either species of hornbeam would be difficult to find "off 
the shelf".  They both grow as understory trees in a mid-successional 
stage of an eastern hardwood forest, and are found as scattered 
individuals rather than in pure stands.  They would be looked upon more 
as a nuisance than as a resource by most woodlot managers or foresters.  
I would check with the forestry department at your nearest University 
that has one, and get the names of individuals in your geographic area 
who might do custom sawmilling.

Tim Keenan
Noteworthy Piano Service
Terrace, BC