Ostrya virginiana
American hophornbeam · also Eastern hophornbeam, Ironwood, Leverwood
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The American hophornbeam is a small to medium-sized, slow-growing deciduous tree native to eastern North America, known for its extremely dense wood and distinctive clusters of nutlet fruit. It thrives in well-drained soils and its leaves turn bright orange in fall, providing wildlife value by attracting birds and squirrels. This species is often found on rocky cliffs or as an understory tree in forests.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 2,1600.65%5.0 yr2.0 in
- 2,0350.29%—2.4 in
- 1,0500.32%3.0 yr2.0 in
- 8660.12%—4.0 in
- 5680.68%—4.3 in
- 5540.28%4.6 yr2.0 in
- 4721.0%—7.5 in
- 4670.30%3.9 yr2.0 in
- 4420.16%—2.4 in
- 4050.35%3.9 yr2.0 in
- 2540.34%4.8 yr2.4 in
- 2280.31%2.8 yr1.6 in
- 1660.37%—2.0 in
- 1300.07%—3.0 in
- 1100.04%—3.0 in
- 880.76%2.3 yr2.0 in
- 570.36%5.7 yr2.0 in
- 350.01%2.1 yr2.0 in
- 170.02%17 yr2.0 in
- 90.00%—2.4 in
- 90.08%7.8 yr2.0 in
- 80.03%—0.8 in
- 70.00%22 yr9.8 in
- 50.01%—2.0 in
- 20.00%—2.5 in
- 20.00%—3.0 in
- 10.00%——
- 10.00%—1.2 in
- 10.00%—0.8 in
Traits
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Mature height
- 20–40 ft
- Canopy spread
- 25–30 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Soil
- Well-drained
- Water needs
- High
- Wildlife value
- High
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 2.4 in, mean 3.6 in, 90th percentile 7.9 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- East Central Texas forests
- New England-Acadian forests
- Southern Great Lakes forests
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands
- Central US forest-grasslands transition
Other Ostrya in the catalogue
4 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
