American Hophornbeam

Ostrya virginiana

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Full Retail Price: $195 (Why the difference?)


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Interesting Flower Interesting Flowers

Characteristics:
Prolific hop-like fruits gives this tough, medium-sized tree its name. Graceful and small with many horizontal branches usually forming a rounded outline.

Growing Conditions:
Prefers moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils of rich or average composition. However, it adapts quite readily to wet or dry, poor, alkaline soils with a slightly reduced growth rate (which is slow to begin with).

Uses:
Attractive small to medium shade tree.

Height:
40' at maturity

Width:
25' at maturity

Shape:
Round

Flowers:
Male flowers are catkins, Female flowers are also catkins, but slender and light green.

Leaves:
Oval leaves have a doubly serrated edge. Dark green in the summer and changing to yellow in the fall.

Bark:
Bark has a shreddy appearance with paper thin pieces that are easily broken off.

More Information:
Yellow to orange / bronze fall color and beautiful winter bark on mature trees. Its wood is very resilient and is valued for making tool handles and fence posts.