Musclewood is native to
the eastern U.S. and southern parts of
Canada, but with its Zone 3 to 9 har-
diness, its potential planting range is
much wider. Like most trees it prefers
a loamy soil, even moisture, mid-range
pH, adequate soil volume, freedom
from soil compaction, and full sun. "It
can tolerate wetter than normal soil
and partial shade, though shade toler-
ance in a mature musclewood tree is
unusual," says Cornell Urban Horticulture
Institute Director Dr. Nina Bassuk.
She adds, "Once established, musclewood
can tolerate occasional dry periods, but
I would not count it as notably drought
tolerant." However, Bassuk notes that
within its large native range, there
are surely musclewood ecotypes that
may yield interesting variants for dif-
ferent site conditions—like persistently
dry ones—and for ornamental traits.
"There are some new cultivars that have
been selected for better fall color—a
more vivid orange-red," she says.
Bassuk puts musclewood in the "mod-
erately difficult to transplant" category.
"For this reason, I would recommend
transplanting it as a small-caliper tree,"
she says. "We experimented with planting
it bare root at 1.5-inch (3.8-cm) caliper in
Ithaca, New York but had enough losses
that I probably wouldn't recommend
bare root for Carpinus caroliniana." >>
34 CityTREES
