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| Leaf Photo by: Paul Wray |
Bark Photo by: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service |
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| Fruit Photo by: Franklin Bonner |
Tree Photo by: Paul Wray |
Ironwood may be slow growing but it has the densest, hardest wood of any native tree species.
Ironwood is a small understory tree that can be found growing from southern Ontario north to Lake Nipissing and Sault Ste. Marie, as well as populations in the Northwestern region to Kenora.
Ironwood has simple, alternating oval-shaped leaves with sharp teeth that are successively larger towards the end of a growing shoot. Male flowers, called catkins, hang in early spring to release pollen. This tree may also be called hop hornbeam, because the maturing clusters of fruit looks like hops. Older trunks have rough, peeling strips of grayish-brown bark.
Ironwood is a slow-growing tree adapted to many situations, except on waterlogged soils where the similarly sized blue beech thrives.
Size: Up to 12 m tall
Moisture: Moist to dry
Shade: Very shade-tolerant but tolerates full sun with ample moisture
Soil: Prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soils
Planting Tip: If planted in full sun on lighter soils, ironwood benefits from a large ring of bark mulch up to 8 cm deep and supplemental watering to prevent leaf scorch in midsummer. More tips...
