Eastern Hophornbeam (Ironwood) (Ostrya virginiana)Flowering Trees

Eastern Hophornbeam (Ironwood)

Ostrya virginiana

Eastern Hophornbeam (Ironwood) (Ostrya virginiana) is a flowering tree, hardy in USDA zones 3-9, that matures to about 25-40 ft × 20-30 ft. It does best in full sun and part shade with medium water needs. It attracts songbirds, stands up well to drought and shade.

USDA zones
3-9
Sun
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Medium
Mature size
25-40 ft × 20-30 ft
Attracts
Songbirds
Tough against
Drought, Shade
Native to
Eastern North America

In the landscape

SpecimenShade treeNaturalizedNativeFall color

Freeze survival

Will it survive your winters?

Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Eastern Hophornbeam (Ironwood) is hardy to about -40°F (estimated from USDA zone 3), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.

Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.

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