Ironwood & Musclewood | Greenbelt Indigenous Botanical Survey

Ironwood & Musclewood

Ostrya virginiana P. Mill. (K. Koch) and Carpinus caroliniana Walt.

Betulaceae

Ironwood (O. virginiana) growing at Cootes Paradise, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Names and Their Meanings

Ironwood - Ostrya virginiana

Kanienʼkéha

tysoráhsa

Anishinaabemowin

maananohns, maananoons (-ak, plural)

French

Ostryer de Virginie

Musclewood - Carpinus caroliniana

Kanienʼkéha

yotenakaratí:wen

Anishinaabemowin

Ska’ agon-mins, Shka agonmins

Peter Jones from the Wikwemikong Nation on Manitoulin Island, pounding corn grains with a pestle in a mortar, 1916. Pestles were often made of Ironwood, as well as other hardwoods such as Maple, Oak, Hickory and Ash. Photo credit F. W. Waugh, Canadian Museum of History.

Snow Snakes at Six Nations of the Grand River are often made out of Ironwood, and other hardwoods such as Hickory, Cherry, and Ash.

Ironwood (O. virginiana) leaves, shape and arrangement on branches, Cootes Paradise, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Ironwood (O. virginiana) bark, Cootes Paradise, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Ironwood (O. virginiana) growing next to a Cottonwood tree at Cootes Paradise, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Ironwood (O. virginiana) alternate view of bark texture, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Ironwood (O. virginiana) growing at Cootes Paradise, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Musclewood trunk (C. caroliniana) showing density of wood, and texture of bark, at Summit Bog, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Musclewood trunk (C. caroliniana) showing density of wood, and texture of bark, at Summit Bog, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Musclewood leaves (C. caroliniana), showing texture and arrangement on branches, at Summit Bog, Photo credit: J. Dolan 2022

Ironwood

Description

Ironwood is used to make snow snakes, and is one of the species in the Haudenosaunee Creation Story; both trees are used for medicine, craft & utility, and building and tool materials.