I recently followed a long, rising trail to a ropes course element at work and saw many hop hornbeam trees along the way. These trees appear similar in many ways to the American hornbeam. However, the bark appears shredded in thin, vertical strips instead of being smooth, and on the ends of branches hop-like fruit was hanging instead of calyces. Hop hornbeam is an odd name for a tree, but the name fits.
The hop hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana, is also known as hophornbeam, eastern hop hornbeam, eastern hophornbeam, American hop hornbeam, and American hophornbeam. This tree is in the birch family, which includes 
the American hornbeam. The hop hornbeam is most often found as an understory east of the Mississippi, from the Florida panhandle upwards into Canada. It tolerates drought and prefers well-drained upper slopes. It does not tolerate flooding as does the American hornbeam, and for this reason these trees are rarely found growing near one another.
Growth of the hop hornbeam is slow, and trees are usually found to be 25 to 40 feet tall or less. However, growth of over 50 feet is possible. As an understory, the tree is very thin and irregular. In full sun, the tree has a finely textured crown of oval shape, casting a medium or dense shade. The trunk has interesting color 
and texture, with grayish-brown to orange bark that shreds in thin, vertical strips. More than one trunk may be present. Roots are not a problem. Limbs are thin, drooping, and resistant to breakage. The leaves are attached to thin twigs by petioles less than ½ inches long. Leaves are alternate, simple, elliptical, and finely serrated. They may be 4 or more inches long and half as wide. Leaf color is medium green on top and paler green below. Fall color is yellow to yellowish-red.
Male and female parts of the hop hornbeam appear on the same tree, and begin to bear fruit around age 25. In late summer, clusters of 1 to 3 male staminate catkins begin development at the 
end of branches. These catkins are 1 to 1½ inches long and droop downwards. Female pistillate catkins occur individually at the end of branches, about a month after spring leaf development. They are ½ inches long, light green, and broader than male catkins. When pollinated via the wind, fruit is formed. The fruits are pale brown nuts about .3 inches long, enclosed in inflated sacs about .8 inches long. These sacs hang in hop-like clusters, turning from green to pale brown when mature. The sacs are dispersed by the wind, but may also be dispersed by birds.
The wood of hop hornbeam is sometimes referred to as ironwood, because it is strong and hard. It can be used where strength and durability is important. However, not only is t
his wood not easy to be bent or cut, but it grows only a foot or less each year making it unimportant commercially. It is valued for tool handles, canes, and longbows.
Attractive features that make the hop hornbeam desirable as an ornamental are shredding bark and hops-like fruit hanging on the ends of branches. Yellow fall leaves remain on the tree until late in the season. The tree is drought tolerant and roots present no problems. If it were not for the tree’s slow rate of growth, this tree would be a very important landscape ornamental.
The hop hornbeam is easy to identify with its hops-like fruit hanging from the ends of 
branches and its bark shredding in narrow strips. When you next see this tree in upland forests, consider how valuable this tree would be, if it grew a little faster.
