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Ironwood
Ostrya virginiana

a.k.a. Hop Hornbeam

Very shade tolerant, good wildlife benefits.

USDA symbol: OSVI

General Information

Plant TypeTree
Height25 to 30 feet
Light ExposurePart Sun, Shade
Soil MoistureDry
Bloom ColorRed, Green, Brown
Ironwood (Ironwood<div><em class="small">Ostrya virginiana</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Wildflowers (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceModerate
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceNone
Stress ToleranceDrought Tolerant

Pollinator Value: Medium

Bloom MonthsApril to May

Project Planning

Project TypeErosion Control, Upland Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism6
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lake, Le Sueur, Lyon, Mahnomen, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Nicollet, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands