Stats

Lifespan

50-150 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

North America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Armor

Status

Common

About

American hophornbeam, a hardwood tree native to eastern North America, has a unique defense mechanism: it secretes a toxin called oxalic acid that can cause severe irritation to animals and insects that try to eat it. This defense makes it difficult for herbivores to feed on the tree, which is why it is often found in areas where other, more palatable plants are present.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Fagales

Family

Betulaceae

Genus

Ostrya

Species

Ostrya virginiana