September Tree of the Month-Eastern hop hornbeam

Commonly called Eastern hop-hornbeam, or American hop hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana is a deciduous tree native to the forests of Eastern North America south to Mexico. In the wild, it lives as an understory tree in soils ranging from dry and rocky to well-drained bottomland soils. Hop hornbeam gets its name from the unique showy fruit capsules that resemble hops.

Long catkins (see photo above) in spring give way to the green capsules that hang like ornaments from the branches and eventually turn parchment brown. Being in the Betulaceae (birch) family, the leaves resemble a birch tree, but the equally attractive bark is rough and scaly with decent winter interest.

A slow-growing tree, it typically reaches about 10-15’ in 15 years but can reach 20-35’ over time with a rounded or oval shape.

Hop hornbeam is easy to grow and succeeds in most soils, although it thrives in any good loam. It does not demand much light and prefers partial to deep shade. It tolerates drought and heavy clay soils, making it low-maintenance and suitable for urban settings.

Showy, shaggy bark provides winter interest, and a planted row can be pruned to create an interesting hedge.

What I love about this plant;

–It’s NATIVE!

-Fun, showy fruit.

-Easy to grow in most soils.

-Drought tolerant.

-Low-maintenance

-No serious pests or diseases.

-Tolerates shade.

-Deer tolerant.

What’s not so great;

-Hop hornbeams are UNDERSTORY trees, so don’t stick them out in full, St. Louis sizzling sun without at least some afternoon shade.

-In the eastern portion of the US, can be prone to gypsy/spongy moths. Thankfully, St. Louis does not have a large population for now.

-Comments or questions? Email Garden-Lou at gardenloustl@gmail.com

Words and photos by Jo Batzer

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