American Hop-hornbeam

Ostrya virginiana

Found in moist to dry forests, often rocky, especially over basic rocks, reaching high elevations. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 20–40 feet
Spread: 15 feet–30 feet 8 inches
Light: Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 23 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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Ostrya virginiana — fruit photograph — Eric Hunt · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: March to May
Fruiting season: August to October

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Recorded in 77 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Regional / representative. Shown: Mountains of North and South Carolina; exact site not identified, a neighboring state.Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 138 animals.

Wood Thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Worm-eating Warbler
Helmitheros vermivorum
Birds. 7 shared habitats
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Black-throated Green Warbler
Dendroica virens
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Chuck-will's-widow
Caprimulgus carolinensis
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Hooded Warbler
Wilsonia citrina
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Orange-crowned Warbler
Vermivora celata
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Pheucticus ludovicianus
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Birds. 6 shared habitats
Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Birds. 5 shared habitats
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Birds. 5 shared habitats
Blackburnian Warbler
Dendroica fusca
Birds. 5 shared habitats
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora pinus
Birds. 5 shared habitats
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 5 shared habitats
Swainson's Warbler
Limnothlypis swainsonii
Birds. 5 shared habitats
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Birds. 5 shared habitats

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

110CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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 110

Argyrotaenia alisellanaWhite-Spotted Leaf Roller
Automeris ioIo Moth
Baileya dormitansSleeping Baileya
Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
Cameraria hamadryadellaSolitary Oak Leafminer Moth
Cameraria lentellaBirch Leaffolding Blotchminer
Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
Cenopis niveanaAproned Cenopis Moth
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
Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
Pseudexentera oregonanaEarly Aspen Leafcurler
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
Acrobasis ostryella
Ancylis laciniana
Caloptilia ostryaeella
Eupithecia swettii
Olethreutes merrickana
Stigmella procrastinella

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)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

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: August
Fruit ends: October

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “March to May” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Brown/copper, yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Slow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “20–40 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “15 feet–30 feet 8 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

American Hop hornbeam; Hop Hornbeam; Ironwood

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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American Hop-hornbeam

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Ostrya