Hop hornbeam
Ostrya carpinifolia
Also called Ostrya and European hop hornbeam
Garden plant · TreesA tough small tree for a hot dry corner where a beech or a hornbeam would sulk. The fruit clusters really do look like hops, they hang on into winter, and that is the only way most people ever notice it.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 9 daysDrench and drain — water the whole surface until it runs from the holes.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 15 m tall · 10 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Southern Europe and Asia Minor
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- This is one of the least troubled trees in the file — it takes drought, heat, chalk and wind. If one is failing, look first at whether it is standing in water, which is the one thing it will not take.Nothing much · disorder