American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)

Bare Root American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)

Regular price$8.00
/

Item #:804735

img

Sold out for the season

  • Share photos of your garden with us! @Monticelloshop #PlantingHistory

Hardy, deciduous, Eastern North American understory tree

Reddish-brown male flowers and greenish female flowers appear in separate catkins on the same tree in spring; female flowers followed by drooping, seed-bearing pods resembling hops; bark is thin, greyish brown, and flaky; dainty, beech-like leaves turn a dull gold in autumn

Origin: Eastern United States

The American Hophornbeam is a native species occurring in dry soils or rocky slopes, upland woods, and bluffs from Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia) to Florida, Texas, and Mexico. It is a member of the Birch family, and related to Alders, Hazelnuts, and Ironwood (Carpinus). In a memorandum written about 1808-09 and likely left for his overseer Edmund Bacon, Thomas Jefferson instructed “plant horn beams & Elms” on the south side of the first Roundabout road. It is not clear if he meant Carpinus or Ostrya, but both species have extremely hard, heavy heartwood and are disease resistant and tolerant of deer, drought, and heavy, clay soil.

This plant will ship bare root. Two year seedling is approximately 2’ tall.

~ If you can't plant immediately, store your plant in a cool location and keep the roots moist or pot in a container with a nursery potting mix from your local garden center.

~ Before planting, let the roots soak for several hours as you prepare the site. You'll want to dig a large enough hole so the root mass can spread out and the plant is at the same soil level as when it was growing in the nursery.

~ Once planted, water it in well and wait a month before fertilizing. Mulching will help to maintain moisture and raise soil temperatures for faster growth.

This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Details

Genus Ostrya
Species virgniana
USDA Zones 3 - 9
Exposure Full Sun to Light Shade
Habit Grows 25-30 feet high and 20-30 feet wide
Culture Prefers moist, but well-drained, organically rich, acidic soil
Attributes Deer resistant, Drought tolerant
Jefferson documented


Recently viewed