Hop Hornbeam Offers Interest in Fall and Winter Landscapes
Plant versatile Ostrya virginiana for its drought tolerance, interesting seedpods and long-lasting rusty brown leaves
If you’re looking for a medium-size deciduous tree that provides interest in the winter, consider planting hop hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana). This beautiful tree, also called ironwood for its dense, tough wood, thrives in partially shaded sites, under the canopy of large trees or on the edge of a woodland. It is very adaptable and can be used in a number of situations in a residential garden — for example, as a specimen tree, incorporated into a shade garden or planted in an existing woodland. This tree, native to eastern North America, prefers medium-dry, well-drained soil.
The tree’s light brown bark has long, narrow vertical strips.
Water requirement: Little water once established; prefers well-drained soils with a moderate amount of moisture
Light requirement: Partial sun to shade
Mature size: 30 to 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Tolerates shade and most soil types except for heavy clay
Water requirement: Little water once established; prefers well-drained soils with a moderate amount of moisture
Light requirement: Partial sun to shade
Mature size: 30 to 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide
Benefits and tolerances: Tolerates shade and most soil types except for heavy clay
The leaves of a hop hornbeam tree in early fall turn from green to copper brown.
Seasonal interest: Long catkins that open at leaf emergence in spring; hoplike fruit in June, persisting into fall; rusty brown leaves that persist through winter, providing interest until spring
When to plant: Spring or fall; plants available from most native plant nurseries in areas where it occurs
Distinguishing traits. Hop hornbeam can have multiple trunks, but a single trunk is more common. Nursery-grown stock almost always has a single trunk. The trees are long-lived and often develop an interesting form with gnarled bark and coarse branches.
Seasonal interest: Long catkins that open at leaf emergence in spring; hoplike fruit in June, persisting into fall; rusty brown leaves that persist through winter, providing interest until spring
When to plant: Spring or fall; plants available from most native plant nurseries in areas where it occurs
Distinguishing traits. Hop hornbeam can have multiple trunks, but a single trunk is more common. Nursery-grown stock almost always has a single trunk. The trees are long-lived and often develop an interesting form with gnarled bark and coarse branches.
The hoplike seedpods develop in midsummer.
How to use it. Hop hornbeam can be used as a stand-alone tree in a partially shaded site, planted along the edge of a woodland or incorporated into a woodland understory. It doesn’t get as large as other deciduous canopy trees, so it can be planted where those other trees may not fit.
Planting notes. Hop hornbeam is often reported to be slow-growing, but I have found that container-grown stock has a good growth rate, with trees producing 1 to 3 feet in height each season. Once established, these trees are very drought-tolerant and do not need supplemental watering.
Small trees under 3 feet tall transplant very well; however, do not dig from wild populations.
How to use it. Hop hornbeam can be used as a stand-alone tree in a partially shaded site, planted along the edge of a woodland or incorporated into a woodland understory. It doesn’t get as large as other deciduous canopy trees, so it can be planted where those other trees may not fit.
Planting notes. Hop hornbeam is often reported to be slow-growing, but I have found that container-grown stock has a good growth rate, with trees producing 1 to 3 feet in height each season. Once established, these trees are very drought-tolerant and do not need supplemental watering.
Small trees under 3 feet tall transplant very well; however, do not dig from wild populations.
Hop hornbeam holds its leaves through the winter, providing interest.
Pollinator notes. Hop hornbeam is a wind-pollinated tree, with a single tree producing both male and female flowers. The seeds are sought after by squirrels.
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Why, When and How to Plant a Tree
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Pollinator notes. Hop hornbeam is a wind-pollinated tree, with a single tree producing both male and female flowers. The seeds are sought after by squirrels.
More
Why, When and How to Plant a Tree
See other Great Design Plants
Common names: Hop hornbeam, ironwood, eastern hop hornbeam
Origin: Native to North America, from eastern North Dakota east to Maine in the north and from Texas east to northern Florida in the south; in Canada, from Manitoba eastward to Nova Scotia
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 9; find your zone)
Typical plant communities: Deciduous woodland understories and woodland edges