Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. The wood of the American hornbeam is extremely hard and crack-resistant and was harvested by early settlers to make bowls, spoons ...

and American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana.) Both of these hornbeams are slow-growing, diminutive trees that have very hard and heavy wood. Both trees prefer shady conditions and grow best in ...

The smooth, gray, rippling bark of Carpinus betulus shields extremely hard, strong wood inside ... It's also preferred over the American hornbeam as it grows faster with a uniform shape.

American hornbeam is actually a member of the birch family. Its other common names are ironwood, for the extreme hardness of its wood, and musclewood, for the way the tree’s trunk and larger ...