Ironwood, also called American Hophornbeam or Ostrya virginiana, is a small, slow-growing understory tree. It is found across mid to eastern Canada, down through the eastern United States and even as far south as Honduras. The fruit, or nutlets, resemble hops, hence the “hophornbeam” name. The seeds of the ironwood are preferred by the purple finch, downy woodpecker and rose-breasted grosbeak. It also has the densest, hardest wood of any native Canadian tree.
There are many of these in my neighbourhood. I never noticed them before 365. 😀
@marlboromaam They are so interesting! They’re like little inflated paper sacks, kind of like a cluster of tiny patio laterns. I was thinking of you and your many trees when I posted this.
