Eastern Hophornbeam

Ostrya Virginiana

From the tulip tree make your way around to the lawn in front of the mansion. This is the eastern (American) hophornbeam. Other names for this tree include “ironwood,” and “leatherwood.” It is typically grown as an ornamental or used as a street tree. Its wood is very resilient and is valued for making tool handles and fenceposts. Being a diffuse hardwood of high density and resistance to compression, historically, it was an excellent material for making long bows.