Carpinus tschonoskii — identification & habitat

Yeddo hornbeam is a tree that grows wild in East Asian forests and loses its leaves in fall. Its softly hairy young leaves and leaf stalks help distinguish it from other hornbeams. Yeddo hornbeam is also called Asian hornbeam.

Appearance

Appearance: Young bark is fairly smooth and gray, with paler lengthwise marks.
Growth form: A deciduous tree that can reach about 80 ft (25 m) in its native range.
Leaves: The leaves are about 1.5–5 in (4–12 cm) long. Look for soft hairs on the leaf surfaces, veins, and short stalks.
Fruit: Small nuts sit beneath long, narrow, leaflike in hanging clusters.

Look-alikes

American hornbeamCarpinus caroliniana

Both have toothed leaves and gray bark. Asian hornbeam has hairy leaf stalks and long, narrow fruit coverings; American hornbeam has shorter, three-lobed fruit coverings. Fruit photos are the stronger clue.

Why they get mixed upBoth are hornbeams that may grow in U.S. collections.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: East Asian forests
Tree collections
Range: Native to Korea, Japan, and southern China. Tree collections in Ohio, Illinois, and Massachusetts also grow it.
Preferred conditions: It can be grown in U.S. 4–5.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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