Tree Description:
A large forest tree reaching a height of 100 feet or more and a trunk diameter of 2 to 3 feet, with thick branches and twigs that form an open, oblong crown. The distinctive bark gives the trunk a "shaggy" appearance, even from a distance.
Range/Site Description:
Occurs in East Texas on rich, moist, well-drained soils, especially on slopes or along streams. Usually found as a single tree or in small groups.
Leaf:
Alternate, once-compound, 8" to 15" long, with 5 (rarely 7) obovate to ovate leaflets, each leaflet 4" to 7" long and 2" to 3" wide, and toothed, the terminal leaflets larger than the others.
Flower:
Opening after the leaves have nearly attained full size, the male catkins in groups of three, 4" to 5" long, the female flowers in short clusters at the tips of the branches.
Fruit:
A nut, borne singly or in pairs, 1" to 2.5" long, round or oval in shape, enclosed in a dark brown husk, 0.25" to 0.5" thick, which splits along four seams to the base and reveals the pale nut when the fruits fall to the ground. The shell is relatively thin and the kernel is sweet.
Bark:
Gray, smooth on branches, but developing thin plates that curl away from the trunk in lengthwise strips, measuring 12" long and 4" wide or so, giving the species its common name.
Wood:
Heavy, hard, tough, and strong, it is used in the manufacture of tool handles, baskets, and sports equipment. The wood is also excellent for barbeques, and the nuts are sold commercially as the standard hickory nut.
Similar Species:
Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) has pear-shaped fruits with thinner husks that do not split to the base; mockernut hickory (C. alba) has hairy leaf undersides and 7 to 9 leaflets.
Interesting Facts:
Native Americans in the eastern U.S. made a drink from the leaves called "powcohiccora," from which the name "hickory" is derived.
