The genus Ostrya is composed of about eight species native to Mexico [1], Eurasia [1], eastern Asia/Japan [3], the United States, and Canada [3]. The name ostrya is Latinized from the Greek ostrua, a tree with very hard wood and most likely the European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus).
Ostrya carpinifolia European hophornbeam
Ostrya chisosensis Big Bend hophornbeam, Chisos hophornbeam
Ostrya knowltonii ironwood, Knowlton hophornbeam, western hophornbeam, wolf hophornbeam
Ostrya virginiana* American hophornbeam, deerwood, eastern hophornbeam, hardhack, hornbeam, ironwood, leverwood, Ostria
* commercially important
The following description is for eastern hophornbeam.
Distribution: North America, from Nova Scotia to Maine, Quebec, Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota, Manitoba and North Dakota, south to South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico, east to Florida.
The Tree: Hophornbeams are small deciduous trees with scaly rough bark. The leaves are double-toothed and of alternate arrangement. The male flowers are borne on upright catkins, while the female flowers and fruits are grouped in clusters, resembling hops. Hophornbeams reach heights of 60 ft (18 m) and 2 ft (0.6 m) in diameter. The tree prefers upland soils in hilly country.
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood of hophornbeam is wide and whitish, while the heartwood is light brown with red streaks. The wood has no characteristic odor or taste. It is very heavy and hard, and is sometimes confused with birch.
Weighta
Weight
Moisture Specific lb/ft3 kg/m3
content gravity
Green 0.63 60 961
12% 0.70 49 785
Ovendry 0.76 NA NA
aReference (59).
Mechanical propertiesa
Property Green Dry
MOE 1.15 106 7.929 GPa 1.70 106 11.722 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 8.50 103 58.608 MPa 14.1 103 97.220 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.57 103 24.615 MPa 7.76 103 53.505 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in22
C 0.73 103 5.033 MPa 1.50 103 10.343 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 13.3 91.704 14.0 96.530
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
Hardness 1,170 lbf 5204.16 N 1,860 lbf 8273.28 N
Shear| | 1.37 103 9.446 MPa 1.79 103 12.342 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
aReference (59).
Drying and shrinkagea,b
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final moisture
content)
Type of 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC
shrinkage
Tangential 9.6 8.0 3.3
Radial 8.2 6.8 2.8
Volumetric 18.6 15.5 6.5
aSeasoning is difficult, as a result of
the high density,
which lengthens the drying period.
bReferences: 0% MC (59), 6% and 20% MC
(90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Conditio 6/4 stock stock stock stock
n stock
Standard T6-B3 T3-B1 NA NA NA
aReferences (6, 86).
Working Properties: Very difficult to work.
Durability: Not available at this time.
Preservation: Not available at this time.
Uses: Furniture, axles, handles, levers, mallets, splitting wedges, canes, wooden wares, novelties, fuel wood.
Toxicity: No information available at this time.
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.