Description
Ostrya – Hop-Hornbeam –
There are about 10 species of rarely cultivated, slow growing, monecious, deciduous tree in this genus. They occur in woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They produce simple, ovate to ovate-oblong, or ovate-lance shaped,. Toothed, prominently veined, pointed leaves which are often hairy and held alternately. The flowers are borne in catkins, males and females on the same tree, but only the yellow spring borne males are conspicuous. Female catkins develop into hop-like fruits in late summer. They are excellent specimen tree for a woodland garden.
Grow in fertile, well drained soil in sun or partial shade.
Prone to canker, dieback, powdery mildew, leaf curl, leaf spots, and scale insects.
O. carpinifolia – European Hop Hornbeam – This broadly conical or rounded tree from Southern Europe, Turkey, Syria and the Caucasus grows 70′ feet tall and wide. It has smooth gray bark. From hairy shoots it carries ovate, doubly toothed, lustrous, dark green leaves, to 4″ long, each with 15-20 pairs of veins, the leaves turn pale yellow to golden in autumn. In autumn it bears pendulous, yellow male catkins, to 3″ long, which open in mid spring. It bears hop-like female, white fruit cluster, to 2″ long, develop in summer and turn brown in autumn.
Zones 6-9
