FredL

Jim, I can't comment on your tree. I've been told they grow in our area, but I haven't seen them. We do have a closely related species, Hophornbeam, Ostrya virginiana, which is very common and very easy to grow and maintain. I have several of them, many started from tap roots of trees that resulted from root pruning trees that were three or four years old when I potted them from out of my grow bed. They develop into very nice "Clump Style" trees.

Anyway, what I have observed is that they pretty well always recover eventually, no matter how severe the root pruning. However, severely root pruned trees will sulk for weeks, even months before breaking bud in the Spring or resuming growth later in the year. Especially if the branches have been pruned and growth is starting from latent buds that have to make their way to the surface from inside the branches. So, my experience indicates that if you are patient, this tree will almost certainly recover and that what it is going through is quite normal for Hornbeams.

I am having very good luck with these trees which develop from seedlings to excellent material very quickly in only a few years. The only thing that I don't like about them is that their branches and particularly their roots are very tough and stringy and tend to bind my cheap pruners that I use for rough work instead of cutting cleanly.

Hope this is helpful

Fred