Extension Forestry

Ironwood - Ostrya virginiana

twig Leaves are alternate, simple, and double-toothed with equal leaf bases.
flower
The ironwood is a shade-loving tree of small size with a slender trunk and sparse foliage.  It is found throughout Iowa from dry slopes and ridges to moist slopes in the shade of other hardwoods.

While closely resembling the leaves of the elm, the leaves are more finely toothed, tissue paperlike in texture and pale green in color.  The buds are small, brown and pointed, and the twigs are much more slender than elm and shiny brown.
leaf
fruit The fruit is clusters of leafy, pod like structures which enclose flat, ribbed, pointed nutlets. The light brown or reddish brown bark is finely ridged and covered with fine thin scales.  The ridges are never as heavy as the ridges of elm bark.  Often, the bark tends to spiral up the trunk.
 
 


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Contact: Paul Wray

Last Update: January, 2001