Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Blue Beech

The unusual inflorescence of Carpinus caroliniana offers a serious challenge to one of our most recognized birds. The Cardinal sometimes can be seen doing all kinds of contortions to get at the seeds while hanging upside-down from a nearby branch. The dense wood and unusual, sinuous form of the trunk have elicited other common names including Musclewood, Ironwood, and Hornbeam.
Photographed in seed on June 26, 2012 in Marshall County, Indiana.

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