I am told that grouse use the spring buds for forage. I don't cut any hornbeam off of my property for this reason.
The male over wintering catkins you see on birches, alder and Hornbeam are sought for the protein. Also those fat flower buds of aspen as well. I have seen them do this a good many times, so it's no myth or conjecture.
When I was up to the UP with Jeff, we were in one maple/beech stand that had partial harvesting or thinning done, and the hop-hornbeam was taking over the understory. We also found a few trees that were seed source.
Like beech they are very shade tolerant, have to be to live in the lower to mid canopy in maple forest. Beech, well they are a full fledged tree, they are just as bad in those partial harvests if the seed is there.
