Ostrya virginiana isn't native west of Dallas, but I am familiar with it from
growing up in Houston and East Texas. I nominated it simply because
I think it should be used more in urban landscape settings, including
my part of North Texas where thus far, I have only come across one, in
a friend's yard in Fort Worth. At first I paid no attention to it because
there are American elms (Ulmus americana) and red elms (U. rubra) in
the area, and the Ostrya blends in with them. Then one day I noticed
its distinctive catkins and immediately knew it was an Eastern hophorn-
beam/Ostrya. Since it is the only one in the region that I know of, I
nominated it as a regional Champion Big [Little] Tree (see photo).
From my observations of Eastern hophornbeam in East Texas and
Arkansas, it grows in a wide variety of soils, has strong wood, seems to
be very drought tolerant, and has distinguishing yellow fall color. I think
it would make an excellent ornamental, understory, or accent tree to
be planted in place of other trees that are regularly overplanted in the
South like red bud (Cercis canadensis), Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana),
crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.), and Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria).
—Keith Martin, CF, Landscape Administrator,
City of Southlake, Texas
38 CityTREES
