Ironwood trees very strong, hard, heavy, durable, light brown with thick, pale sapwood; used for fence posts, handles of tools, mallets and other small articles, and fuel. Attractive ornamental tree. The Ironwood trees started growing in this area around the year of 1884. Ironwood reaches heights of 20-35 feet; however, some specimens can be as tall as 50 feet. Ironwood persists more as a shrub than a tree in much of its range in the upper Great Lakes. Ironwood trees were originally planted in Hawaii in the 1870s to act as temporary windbreaks for road construction and protection for native vegetation establishment. They were an ideal plant to use due to their fast-growing capabilities. The wood of the Ironwood is one of the hardest and heaviest woods in the world.