American hophornbeam (TVA, White's Creek Small Wild Area, Plants)

American hophornbeam

Ostrya virginiana

Summary ⁴

Ostrya virginiana (American Hophornbeam), is a species of Ostrya native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Manitoba and eastern Wyoming, southeast to northern Florida and southwest to eastern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Other names include eastern hophornbeam, hardhack (in New England), ironwood, and leverwood.

Damaging agents ⁵

The most important disease problems are the trunk and butt rots. The species is one of the most defective in Ontario-defect claims 20 percent of the gross merchantable cubic foot volumes of trees more than 10 cm (4 in) d.b.h. (3). Losses are greatest in trees 95 to 140 years old and more than 18 cm (7 in) d.b.h., with cull averaging 32 percent. Brown stains cause 62 percent of the defect, while yellow-brown stringy rot, white spongy rot, and an incipient yellow rot account for most of the remaining defect. The organisms primarily responsible are Stereum murrayi, Phellinus igniarius, and Pholiota limonella (3).

Throughout its range, eastern hophornbeam is browsed by white-tailed deer only incidentally. Selective deer browsing of more desirable species of reproduction increases the proportion of beech and eastern hophornbeam, which are avoided in heavily browsed regenerated stands in New York (42). Beaver in Ohio prefer the species as food-it was the most utilized food after alder and aspen in one drainage (25).

Eastern hophornbeam is considered to be relatively free of insect and other disease problems. The species is not readily injured by cold temperatures; succulent growth was not damaged until temperatures dropped below -8° C (17° F) in Wisconsin (1). It is sensitive to pollutants in the upper Ohio River Valley, where it does not grow in areas with high exposure to oxides of sulfur or nitrogen, or to chlorine or fluorine (33). Its tough, resilient branches resist wind, snow, and ice damage.

Nutritional value ⁶

The calcium content of the foliage of eastern hophornbeam is considered
high. Concentrations frequently exceed 2 percent on the basis of
ovendry leaf weight. Nitrogen concentrations range from moderate to
high but concentrations of phosphorus and potassium are usually low [23].

Sources and Credits

(c) Patrick Coin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/42264328@N00/2720439076
no rights reserved, http://www.flickr.com/photos/55368994@N06/7384245676
(c) homeredwardprice, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2985499734_de3efa70de_o.jpg
Adapted by Jonathan (JC) Carpenter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrya_virginiana
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/22778918
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/23370252

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