Hop Hornbeam Ostrya carpinifolia is a beautiful, underutilized tree. Its hop-like female flowers and elongated male catkins are valued by insects and the seeds which follow provide food for smaller mammals. Hop Hornbeam wood is quick growing, dense and heavy and valued by craftspeople throughout the world. The pleasing shape of Ostrya carpinifolia when young gives it a beautiful silhouette, and the fissured grey bark of the mature trunk adds interest in all seasons. Site: Requires some shelter from windSoil: Not too wetPosition: Full sunSeason of Interest: Spring flowers and Autumn fruitHardiness: HardyHeight: 60ft (20m) Spread: 30ft (9m) in 25 years