Quercus

American Hop-hornbeam

Ostrya virginiana

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

113CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Ostrya

  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acronicta interruptaInterrupted Dagger
  • Acronicta laetificaPleasant Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
  • Amorpha juglandisWalnut Sphinx
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
Show all 113
  • Argyrotaenia alisellanaWhite-Spotted Leaf Roller
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Baileya dormitansSleeping Baileya
  • Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
  • Cameraria hamadryadellaSolitary Oak Leafminer Moth
  • Cameraria lentellaBirch Leaffolding Blotchminer
  • Cameraria ostryarellaHornbeam Leafminer
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
  • Chionodes formosellaSpring Oak Leafroller
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Coleophora atromarginataPistol Casebearer, American Pistol Casebearer Moth
  • Colocasia flavicornisYellowhorn, Saddled Yellowhorn
  • Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
  • Dasychira obliquataStreaked Tussock Moth
  • Dasychira tephraTephra Tussock Moth
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Endothenia hebesanaVerbena Bud Moth
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
  • Eumarozia malachitanaSculptured Moth
  • Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Gretchena delicatanaIronwood Fruitworm Moth
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Heterogenea shurtleffiRed-Eyed Button Slug
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hydrelia inornataUnadorned Carpet
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hypena palpariaMottled Bomolocha, Variegated Snout
  • Hyperstrotia nana[White-Lined Graylet applied to Hyperstrotia villificans]
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Immyrla nigrovittellaBlack-Banded Immyrla
  • Isa textulaCrowned Slug
  • Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
  • Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
  • Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
  • Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
  • Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
  • Lithophane querqueraShivering Pinion
  • Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
  • Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
  • Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Morrisonia evictaBicolored Woodgrain
  • Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
  • Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
  • Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Olethreutes appendiceumServiceberry Leafroller
  • Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Orthosia revictaSubdued Quaker
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
  • Panopoda carneicostaBrown Panopoda, Hickory Panopoda
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
  • Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
  • Phyllonorycter lucetiellaBasswood Miner, Basswood Squareblotch Miner
  • Phyllonorycter ostryaefoliellaIronwood Leafblotch Miner
  • Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
  • Pyreferra citrombraEyed Mustard Sallow, Citrine Sallow
  • Pyreferra pettitiPettit's Sallow
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
  • Stilbosis ostryaeellaIronwood Leafminer
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
  • Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
  • Thalera pistasciariaPistachio Emerald
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Zale minereaColorful Zale
  • Zale phaeocapnaHazel Zale
  • Caloptilia ostryaeella
  • Coleophora ostryae
  • Ectoedemia quadrinotata
  • Eupithecia swettii
  • Olethreutes fagigemmeana
  • Olethreutes merrickana
  • Phyllonorycter obscuricostella
  • Phyllonorycter tritaenianella
  • Stigmella corylifoliella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Ostrya

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Sturnus vulgarisEuropean Starling
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Betulaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Brown/copper, yellow or green
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Hop hornbeam; Hop Hornbeam; Ironwood

Conservation status

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your spot?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources