Graceful Triple Trunk Ostrya virginiana, Hop-Hornbeam

[Mike Hennigan]

This is a triple trunk Hop-Hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana, that I collected just this past spring. I was out collecting looking mainly for hawthorn and while I just started digging a hawthorn I looked over and saw this tree just a few feet away and instantly fell in love. It is the definition of a graceful, feminine tree with a triple trunk that makes it very unique looking. All three trunks mirror each other with their lower movement. The tree seemed half way to bonsai already as if someone had be out here in the woods carefully cultivating it for a number of years. Branching in all the right spots. It makes me think of sort of a ‘mother, father, child’ style tree.





There are actually some pretty decent surface roots but they are buried under the soil for now. The design concept for this tree will be to keep it tall and slender. At least the two thickest trunks will be chopped a little further down than they are now to grow in some nicer taper to the apices.

Now, seeing as the thinnest trunk is in the middle between the two thicker trunks, this material presents some interesting design challenges. If we want to make this TREE look like a BONSAI then the rules would dictate that the thinnest trunk should be the shortest trunk, to achieve the ideal bonsai proportions. However, doing that just won’t work well for the overall design and most likely that trunk in the middle will be consistent shaded out by the two taller trunks on either side, it will suffer and may die back eventually.

Now, if we want to make this BONSAI look like a TREE, this it is perfectly acceptable to make the center trunk taller than the trunk all the way to the left. In nature this can happen where this thinner trunk would stretch higher as it is reaching for more light. The trunk on the left, though thicker, wouldn’t have to stretch as tell to reach the light. This is my reasoning behind this.

So the main trunk on the right will be the tallest, the skinny trunk in the middle will be the second tallest, and the trunk on the left will be the shortest but reaching out further to the left to accentuate the overall movement of the tree.

I don’t know a ton about cultivating hop-hornbeam, there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of info out there. I have seen pictures of the forest planting at the NC arboretum, which makes me believe they can achieve a good degree of leaf reduction. If anyone has any thoughts on my design concept or advice on working with this species I’d love to hear it!

 

[Mike Hennigan]

The whole tree is just over 2 feet about, looks taller than that in the pics.

 

[0soyoung]

Now, seeing as the thinnest trunk is in the middle between the two thicker trunks, this material presents some interesting design challenges. If we want to make this TREE look like a BONSAI then the rules would dictate that the thinnest trunk should be the shortest trunk, to achieve the ideal bonsai proportions. However, doing that just won’t work well for the overall design and most likely that trunk in the middle will be consistent shaded out by the two taller trunks on either side, it will suffer and may die back eventually.

It is all about bluffing perspective - the thin trunk represents a tree farther away. I think you've got it going nicely in this clump. However there is no reason, IMHO, why the thinnest trunk being short is going to be a horticultural problem. You simply position the foliage of the taller trees away from it, toward the front so it gets light. Higher foliage toward the front also affects the bow of the tree toward the viewer - as trite as it sounds, I find trees that do this feel friendly/inviting.

Further on this matter, don't always set the tree against a shaded wall (maybe you do and what I see in the pix was just for photography). Positioned so that the sun is behind will also make the tree appear more interesting, IMHO. I like seeing illuminated foliage behind the shaded foreground trunks/trees. Since I have a south facing view of my trees for the most part, I enjoy this for much of the year, not to mention the benefits to little stuff behind.

Play with it.

You've got a very nice clump going; especially nice where the trunks are popping out of the ground. The taller the tree are, though, the more one's eye is drawn away from this. This, IMHO, is your design problem, not the thin trunk in back.

 

[just.wing.it]

It is interesting, surely.
I like 0so's take...

It always seems like 3 trunks is odd to me, for some reason...especially when the center trunk is the thinnest.

It has a very natural look about it, I like it.
I'm sure it will develop nicely.

 

[TN_Jim]

I have two of them I collected this past late winter. Now that I know what to look for, aim to get a few more this coming collecting season.

I’ve found little info on these as well. This is what I’ve figured out this year, hope something worthwhile in these observations...

I got virtually no new buds throughout spring. So I cut about 3” off off the ends of every single branch, and soon after, many buds started appearing.

I believe 100% de is too wet for them...will repot with ~1/3 - 1/2 lava.

These leaves seem highly succepable to fungal pathogens. Hopefully repot/new mix will help. Also will be treating in winter and early to get a jump on it next year.

Full sun, no problem.

They do seem to be very slow, I can live with this..

From what I can tell, the leaves can reduce to about the length of my thumbnail.

Regarding your tree, I wonder if putting a wedge between the 1st and 3rd trunk to separate them over time would help clear up some considerations of the central child trunk?

 

[Mike Hennigan]

It is all about bluffing perspective - the thin trunk represents a tree farther away. I think you've got it going nicely in this clump. However there is no reason, IMHO, why the thinnest trunk being short is going to be a horticultural problem. You simply position the foliage of the taller trees away from it, toward the front so it gets light. Higher foliage toward the front also affects the bow of the tree toward the viewer - as trite as it sounds, I find trees that do this feel friendly/inviting.

Further on this matter, don't always set the tree against a shaded wall (maybe you do and what I see in the pix was just for photography). Positioned so that the sun is behind will also make the tree appear more interesting, IMHO. I like seeing illuminated foliage behind the shaded foreground trunks/trees. Since I have a south facing view of my trees for the most part, I enjoy this for much of the year, not to mention the benefits to little stuff behind.

Play with it.

You've got a very nice clump going; especially nice where the trunks are popping out of the ground. The taller the tree are, though, the more one's eye is drawn away from this. This, IMHO, is your design problem, not the thin trunk in back.

Thanks for your take on it, I really wasn’t putting enough thought into depth and how that plays on perspective and proportion. The smallest trunk is actually going towards the back a bit already. It is thin enough that I can still put some slight movement into it and train it toward the back a bit more as well. Really good point there, you’ve given me a lot to think about.

I don’t keep it against that wall, just did that for photography so you could see the branches clearer. Thanks for the photography tip, will try that out.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

It is interesting, surely.
I like 0so's take...

It always seems like 3 trunks is odd to me, for some reason...especially when the center trunk is the thinnest.

It has a very natural look about it, I like it.
I'm sure it will develop nicely.

It is odd, but feels like it can work somehow. I think removing one would surely dimish the natural quality of the tree.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

I have two of them I collected this past late winter. Now that I know what to look for, aim to get a few more this coming collecting season.

I’ve found little info on these as well. This is what I’ve figured out this year, hope something worthwhile in these observations...

I got virtually no new buds throughout spring. So I cut about 3” off off the ends of every single branch, and soon after, many buds started appearing.

I believe 100% de is too wet for them...will repot with ~1/3 - 1/2 lava.

These leaves seem highly succepable to fungal pathogens. Hopefully repot/new mix will help. Also will be treating in winter and early to get a jump on it next year.

Full sun, no problem.

They do seem to be very slow, I can live with this..

From what I can tell, the leaves can reduce to about the length of my thumbnail.

Regarding your tree, I wonder if putting a wedge between the 1st and 3rd trunk to separate them over time would help clear up some considerations of the central child trunk?

Mine is actually in 100% DE (optisorb). It sulked for a bit after collection, the leaves opened but then stopped... there was no new shoot growth. I kept it in mostly shade for about a month with it just frozen in time like this and then all of a sudden it start sending out new shoots. You can tell which are the new shoots (mostly towards the top) because those leaves are at least twice as large as all the other leaves.

I would have liked to see more growth obviously but it looks pretty healthy for now, haven’t noticed any major fungal problems yet. Will give the soil situation some thought.
Wedging may be something to pursue, @0soyoung ‘s suggestions have got me thinking that training it more towards the back could help deal with this as well.

 

[ConorDash]

The majority of my trees are in a 100% DE equivalent (cat litter, clay fired granules), and I find it great.

Your choice as to whether to keep that substrate or not should be based on the tree and climate. For me, mine works. It’s promoting fine feeder roots due to the small granular size, which in term is resulting in small leaf growth. I can water anytime without worrying. It simplifies things.
I’m sure there are slightly better mixes, for example if a tree likes more organic mixes, but that’s complicated.
When I’m a better hobbyist, I’ll move on to trying those different mixes, when I know my trees better.

 

[Johnnyd]

This is a triple trunk Hop-Hornbeam, Ostrya virginiana, that I collected just this past spring. I was out collecting looking mainly for hawthorn and while I just started digging a hawthorn I looked over and saw this tree just a few feet away and instantly fell in love. It is the definition of a graceful, feminine tree with a triple trunk that makes it very unique looking. All three trunks mirror each other with their lower movement. The tree seemed half way to bonsai already as if someone had be out here in the woods carefully cultivating it for a number of years. Branching in all the right spots. It makes me think of sort of a ‘mother, father, child’ style tree.

View attachment 208466
View attachment 208468
View attachment 208469

There are actually some pretty decent surface roots but they are buried under the soil for now. The design concept for this tree will be to keep it tall and slender. At least the two thickest trunks will be chopped a little further down than they are now to grow in some nicer taper to the apices.

Now, seeing as the thinnest trunk is in the middle between the two thicker trunks, this material presents some interesting design challenges. If we want to make this TREE look like a BONSAI then the rules would dictate that the thinnest trunk should be the shortest trunk, to achieve the ideal bonsai proportions. However, doing that just won’t work well for the overall design and most likely that trunk in the middle will be consistent shaded out by the two taller trunks on either side, it will suffer and may die back eventually.

Now, if we want to make this BONSAI look like a TREE, this it is perfectly acceptable to make the center trunk taller than the trunk all the way to the left. In nature this can happen where this thinner trunk would stretch higher as it is reaching for more light. The trunk on the left, though thicker, wouldn’t have to stretch as tell to reach the light. This is my reasoning behind this.

So the main trunk on the right will be the tallest, the skinny trunk in the middle will be the second tallest, and the trunk on the left will be the shortest but reaching out further to the left to accentuate the overall movement of the tree.

I don’t know a ton about cultivating hop-hornbeam, there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of info out there. I have seen pictures of the forest planting at the NC arboretum, which makes me believe they can achieve a good degree of leaf reduction. If anyone has any thoughts on my design concept or advice on working with this species I’d love to hear it!

View attachment 208466View attachment 208468View attachment 208469

Nice find! I'm curious where you were thinking of doing your trunk chops. Or maybe you will work it down in stages and see what the tree does. ?? Cheers!

 

[sorce]

100% de is too wet

What kind of pot?

I had mine in a colander ......100% DE..
I feel it was "too wet"...

Or the Colander.

S

 

[CasAH]

Do not forget that these are under story trees, so partial shade is best. If not protect from afternoon sun.

 

[TN_Jim]

What kind of pot?

I had mine in a colander ......100% DE..
I feel it was "too wet"...

Or the Colander.

S

you raise a good point...

one is in a large thick plastic flower pot <—this one is more the struggler

smaller hop is in a little green colander
<—happier: shown more growth, less pathogen |still think it’s too wet tho.

Where these occur around here is shallow rocky soil on some kinda slope or rock outcropping situation usually, not the makings of water retentive habits

 

[sorce]

you raise a good point...

You too.

I still think we haven't uncovered the truth yet...
As I find plastic to SUCK for wet....

And the other in the colander... Well...
Me and colanders for D's is in a discussion right now!
Whew...especially for newly collected stuff....
Them tips gotta grow I reckon.

I think DE in a clay pot may be ok.

Curios aboit the optisorb size maybe allowing more air.

A squirrel bit my last one. Colander and De.
I still think it got rabies...so yeah...Investigating!

I have one in the ground which must be removed soon for a move.

S

 

[M. Frary]

If we want to make this TREE look like a

But we dont.
Rules, schmules!
We want our bonsai to look like trees.
I see these kinds of clumps all over.
These will back bud on old wood after hard chops.
Take forever to grow a new leader so try to cut existing branches. Collect with low branches of possible.
Seal all large cuts. They will die back from large open trunk chops.
They can take full sun.
They are almost swamp creatures so moist soil is fine.
Even though their common name is ironwood,hornbeams arent tough. Like say an elm or hawthorn. They're more like beach. Kind of delicate.

 

[TN_Jim]

You too.

I still think we haven't uncovered the truth yet...
As I find plastic to SUCK for wet....

And the other in the colander... Well...
Me and colanders for D's is in a discussion right now!
Whew...especially for newly collected stuff....
Them tips gotta grow I reckon.

I think DE in a clay pot may be ok.

Curios aboit the optisorb size maybe allowing more air.

A squirrel bit my last one. Colander and De.
I still think it got rabies...so yeah...Investigating!

I have one in the ground which must be removed soon for a move.

S

been thinking about building a box for the one in the plastic pot...with some Swiss cheese holes and meshed...

If I did this (like today!?), fill it with mix 3:1 de:lava -could begin to monitor empty vessel for water retention ala Cofgaesque bamboo skewers rather than chopstick -one central, one edge...
then remix-stepping up lava ratio to tune it in.../get feel for box..hmm

ALIVE!!! ...gonna need a lab coat

& what is the deal with optisorb!!???

I want that grain size, but doesn’t it break down?? -when does it muck up?..is it freeze thaws that gets it or just gradually?

(thanks again @Cofga done with the chopstick)

 

[sorce]

optisorb!!???

I want that grain size, but doesn’t it break down?

Makes me nervy!

This is the first year Ive seen people using it.

S

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Nice find! I'm curious where you were thinking of doing your trunk chops. Or maybe you will work it down in stages and see what the tree does. ?? Cheers!

As @M. Frary suggested my plan has been to chop to existing branches for the new leaders, at least on the right and left trunks I have good branches already in place for this. This will add some nice movement and give me some instant taper. Will plan to wire these new leaders to adjust their positions as well. While I said the design concept for this tree is “tall and thin” which I think works because it is a three trunk clump, it is still a quite a bit taller than what I have in mind for the refined tree. I think going with the taller design concept helps the fact that I don’t have much branching down very low as well, but hopefully I can get low buds to pop for lower branches in the future. I’m thinking my chops will go something like this for the two largest trunks, not sure about the thin trunk yet since existing branching on this trunk is a bit more sparse down low.




Chops in red, new leaders traced with green. I’m not sure about the chop on the middle trunk though, it may be too low, but would add the type of movement I’m looking for so could be worth it, and then just regrow for more height if I need to. If the idea is to portray it as a tree further away from the viewer, then it can be somewhat tall while still being thin. It is already going towards the back anyways so this fits. But I think one of the bigger challenges is figuring out how that middle trunk fits into the composition as a whole. Rules schmules, indeed!

 

[Mike Hennigan]

@sorce @TN_Jim the pot it is in is a melamine bowl I got from a second hand store that I have drilled holes into. Melamine is like a very rigid plastic, it doesn’t bend at all. You can find tons of melamine bowls and kitckenware kind of stuff at s thrift stores, easy to drill through, very rigid, good for a cheap training pot. Not sure how they hold up over the years with UV exposure yet though. I drilled a ton of holes in the sides of the bowl as well, for a sort of semi-colander container.

I hadn’t read about optisorb breaking down before I potted up a bunch of trees in it this spring so I’m a little on edge about it, may be having to do a bunch of emergency repots this coming spring, I hope not.

 

[sorce]

I dont think you'll have a great problem with the optisorb.

Keep us updated!

S