This is what the tree looks like (this is not my photo; here is the link):

 

This is a photo of one of my seedlings at 1 year (taken 08/09/05):

 

 

This is what the seeds look like (this is not my photo; here is the link):

These trees are obscure understory trees, and I have yet to spot one in the wild. The only one I have seen is growing on the Market Street Mall here in Wilmington. It is about 6" DBH, but is old enough to produce seeds.  (Be careful! If you show too much interest in this particular tree, the concierge at this building will come out to see what you are doing. Apparently they have had problems with kids climbing the tree).  There were a lot of seeds on this tree in the fall of 2003, none in 2004, and in the spring of 2005 there were some clusters forming. However, by August of 2005 all the seeds clusters were gone; maybe due to the dry weather we are having this year.

 

I have left these descriptions vague so you will have the fun of finding the trees for yourself.

In Wilmington proper there is one tree, on the Market Street Mall, between 4th and 10th.  The largest hophornbeam in Delaware is in Arden,  on private property; I have looked for it, but it is  not readily visible from the street. My tree friend Vik from the Delaware Center for Horticulture has organized a planting of several trees at the city park near St. Francis Hospital (in fall of 2003). 

 

I grew some in the spring of 2004. I collected about 35 seeds in the fall of 2003; see the 2004 Growing Season for how I am stratifying them. I found that the seeds had to be held over the winter in moist perlite. Some germinated in the perlite, and the sprouts could be planted. Stratifying them dry did not work. 

 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has a web page with excellent photos, and here.