| The American Hornbeam is a great plant for wildlife | | | | habitat. This will greatly improve the quality of your |
| improvement. Sportsmen should take careful note of | | | | habitat. I suggest these companion plants with the |
| this plant. Deer will browse this tree but it is not | | | | Hornbeam: Black Cherry, Sugar Maple, White Oak, |
| preferred. This is a key to its success as a wildlife | | | | Black Oak, Northern , Red Oak, River Birch, Sycamore, |
| improvement plant. If you plant a small apple tree and it | | | | Pin Oak, and Sweetgum. |
| grows backwards, what have you accomplished? The | | | | If you are establishing a large stand you will want to |
| Hornbean is going to make it. That's a great | | | | buy seedlings and smaller plants. These available |
| consideration when establishing or imporoving a wildlife | | | | usually in the spring. We do recommend trees 10-15' in |
| habitat. American Hornbeam is an important native | | | | height which we are balled and burlapped throughout |
| food of gray squirrels. Hornbaeams are important | | | | the season. |
| sources for other small game animals such as grouse | | | | Hornbeam is a desirable deer food and growth will not |
| and turkeys. Its branching attracts many song birds for | | | | be completely suppressed in areas of excessive deer |
| it makes great cover. Rabbits and beavers also like it | | | | populations(over 10 deer per square mile of forest |
| stems. | | | | cover). The deer work this plant. If you plant seedlings |
| Native Range of the American Hornbeam: | | | | in high deer population area you should use spray |
| American hornbeam is native to much of the eastern | | | | repellants and use deer guards. For a one acre deer |
| United States. This plant can stand a wide variety of | | | | plot of just Hornbeams, I would suggest in a high deer |
| soil conditions. Wet soils can be used but not bog like in | | | | population area you will need to plant 2000-3000 tree |
| wetness. The roots do need to dry out so they don't | | | | seedlings per acre to get enough saplings to withstand |
| rot. The water table where this plant is located may | | | | deer browsing pressure. After being established, this |
| have a high fluctuating water table. A good loam on | | | | plot will become what I call Legal Deer Bait. It will |
| the surface helps this plant greatly. This plant can take | | | | attract and support deer. It will become a thicket that |
| some flooding. American Hornbeam is typically an | | | | deer will return to all season long. |
| understory species and rarely occurs in the overstory | | | | We would be glad to assist you with design, use of |
| or dominates a stand. Thus, plant this with other | | | | our loaner transplanters, and seedlings for your plot. |
| companion plants and increase the diversity of your | | | | |