Ostrya virginiana
| Ostrya virginiana | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 49' |
| Width: | 39' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Early Fall |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Ostrya virginiana (common name: ironwood)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it normally germinates in spring. The germination rate is variable but usually good[1]. 'Green' seed, harvested when the embryo has fully formed but before the outer coat has dried, sown immediately in a cold frame germinates very well. Stored seed requires stratification, 3 months warm then 5 months cold usually works well but germination can take 18 months[2]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils[3].Thrives in any good loam, including chalk[2], it does not demand much light. Prefers a deep open loam. A rather slow-growing tree[4].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[2].
Range: Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Manitoba, Nebraska, Florida and Texas.
Habitat: Rich moist woods[5][4], it is also found on dry gravelly slopes and ridges, often in the shade of oaks and other large trees[6].
Medicinal: The bark is astringent, blood tonic and haemostatic[7]. A decoction of the bark is used to bathe sore muscles[7]. An infusion of the bark can be held in the mouth to relieve the pain of toothache[7].
An infusion of the heartwood has been used in the treatment of lung haemorrhages, coughs and colds, catarrh and kidney problems[7]. It is also used as a herbal steam bath in the treatment of rheumatism[7].
Usage: Wood - close-grained, very hard, very strong, durable. It weighs 51lb per cubic foot. The wood is of a very high quality but the tree is not large enough to be used commercially. It is used locally for posts, mallets, tool handles and applications where resistance to wear is essential[3][8][9][6][10][11][4][12]. A very good fuel, though it is almost impossible to split[11].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Monoecious
Also Known As: O. virginica. Carpinus ostrya. C. virginiana.
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Vines, Robert. Trees of North Texas. University of Texas Press, 1982.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Heywood, Vernon. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lauriault, Jean. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.