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Native Plant Society of Texas

Hornbeam Copperleaf

Acalypha ostryifolia

Other common name(s):

Hophornbeam copperleaf, Pineland threeseed mercury

Family:

Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Southern Texas Plains, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Low Mountains and Bajadas
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Canadian/Cimarron Breaks, Caprock Canyons Badlands Breaks, Flat Tablelands and Valleys, Semiarid Canadian Breaks
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

1
to
3
ft.

Spread

1
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Annual

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Gravelly, Loam

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Riparian, Shrubland, Woodland, Woodland Edge

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Brown, Green, White

Bloom Season

Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Forage, Larval Host, Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Browsers, Beetles, Deer

Maintenance

A common native “weedy” species that might deserve a place in your garden. Plants in the Euphorbiaceae family usually have a milky sap which toxic to eat and touch. The Acalypha plants lack this sap, which may explain why they are eaten by mammals like deer. Like other native plants, these plants support the food web. Leaving them in your yard or garden helps protect ecosystems. If you learn to identify these plants, and leave them in your garden, you help to provide food for wildlife, supporting biodiversity. The seeds of the Acalypha are eaten by birds. Mammals, including deer, sometimes eat the leaves as well. The beetles Hornaltica bicolorata and Margaridisa atriventris feed on these species. Rather than seeing them as weeds, you can see them as a contributor to natural beauty. Native habitat: riverbanks, fields, bluffs, canyons and slopes, mesic woodlands, pinelands, thickets, disturbed areas.

Description

Blooms June-November. The stems are upright, branching, purplish-green with vertical striations, short recurved hairs. The leaves are ovate, with serrate or dentate margins, and slight pubescence, Inconspicuous flowers that lack petals and are wind pollinated. Male flowers axillary, female flowers terminal. The fruit is a three-lobed capsule. Larval host: the spotted lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata) commonly lays eggs on this plant when it grows near sweet corn crops.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Acalypha caroliniana, Acalypha setosa, Acalypha persimilis

References

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason