Wood: "Ostrya"
is Greek for "tree with tough wood." The wood is harder than that
of any other Iowa native tree, stronger than that of white oak and second
only to hickory in weight. The trees are too small to be used commercially,
however. This wood was once used for mallets, levers, wedges, tool handles,
ox yokes, wheels and axles. Ostrya makes excellent firewood.
Wildlife: Birds and occasionally squirrels eat the nutlets; catkins are sometimes eaten by gamebirds and other animals; rabbits eat the bark and twigs.
Horticulture: Although Ostrya forms a handsome small tree, it has attracted little horticultural interest as the flowers are not showy, fall color is not spectacular and trees are slow to establish after transplanting.
This photograph shows an ironwood growing north of the Parks Library.
