| Description | A large growing native tree producing an edible fruit. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | All Plants, Trees Deciduous |
| Hardiness Zone | 5 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | average to moist |
| Soil & Site | prefers rich well drained soils, tolerates average |
| Flowers | pistillate (female) and staminate (male) catkins on same tree |
| Fruit | Produces a green husk in pairs or solitary that dries to brown or black. The inner fruit is a light gray, splits easily releasing the edible fruit which has the flavor similar to a Pecan. The fruit was an important part of early Native Americans. It was pounded into a paste, ate fresh or made into nut milk (#75) |
| Leaves | alternate, pinnately compound, usually 5 leaflets, sometimes seven, yellow green turning to a rich yellow to golden yellow in the fall |
| Stems | If not removed the bark will develop its characteristic shaggy texture. |
| Roots | taproot |
| Dimensions | over 60-80 feet in height. |
| Maintenance | difficult to transplant because of tap root |
| Propagation | seeds |
| Misc Facts | A non shaggy tree has been called a Bastard Hickory. The wood is tough and difficult to split. Used to make ramrods for guns and excellent as dowels in cabinet and furniture construction. Used to flavor hams as in Hickory Smoked. Yellow die was made from the inner bark. |
| Author's Notes | I taught High School Horticulture for 33 years. When I took walks with the students in the wooded area behind the school in the fall the ground would be littered with the nuts of this tree. |
| Notes & Reference | #01-Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Michael Dirr), #39-The Natural History of Trees (Donald Cultrose Pattie), #75-Encyclopedia of Nuts, Berries and Seeds (John Heinerman), #181-Native Trees for North America (Guy Sternberg) |
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