American hophornbeam

This small tree, nicknamed “ironwood” because of its extremely hard wood, can grow up to 12 metres tall. Its straight, narrow trunk is covered in greyish-brown bark, broken into narrow rectangular strips, loose at both ends.

The twigs are slender and shiny dark reddish-brown. The pointed buds are greenish-brown and slightly hairy, spreading from the twig.

The alternate leaves of the American hophornbeam are arranged in two rows along the twig. They are ovate, acuminate and double-toothed. They are dark yellowish green above and paler and hairy beneath. In autumn they turn dull yellow.

The flowers are grouped in greenish catkins. The fruit forms drooping clusters resembling hops, from which its common name comes from. Small white or greenish sacs form clusters 4 to 5 cm long. Each of these sacs contains a seed called a nucule (from the Latin nucula, meaning “small nut”).