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Carya glabra

This plant is not currently for sale.  This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

The Pignut Hickory is one of the tallest (eighty to one hundred-foot range) hickory trees comprising the Oak-Hickory Forests of Eastern North America. The trunk is generally straight and the crown of the tree slender, casting an open shade. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, eight to twelve inches long, with 5 (sometimes 7) leaflets. Leaflets are lance-shaped with serrated margins. In the fall they turn a briliant yellow which lasts longer than those of other hickory species. The nuts are one to two inches long, ripening in the fall. The foliage supports the larvae of a very large number of butterflies, moths, beetles, leafhoppers, etc. whch in turn attract insectivorous songbirds. The nuts support squirrrels of various types, as well as other small mammals and large birds. The Hickory wood is hard, used for all sorts of implements, and makes excellent fuel for wood-burning stoves. Although a desirable tree, it is difficult to transplant because of its early-developing tap root. One of our top favorite shade trees.

Key Info

Scientific Name: Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet
Common Names: Pignut Hickory, Swamp Hickory, Smoothbark Hickory, Broom Hickory
Plant Type:
Light Requirement: , ,
Moisture Requirement: , ,
Leaf Retention:
Flower Color: Yellowish green, inconspicuous

Additional Info

Habit: Tall and slender tree with arching branches and early-develoing deep taproot; adult has ridged or plated bark.
Height: 50'-100'
Spread: up to 25'
Soil Conditions: average to dry, circumneutral pH, acclimated to a range of soil textures, sandy, loamy, clay
Leaves: Altnernate, pinnately compund with 5 (rarely 7) lanceolate leaflets with toothed margins, smooth on the underside (glabrous), the upper leaflets larger than the lower pair; excellent yellow fall color.
Flowers (or reproductive structures: Flowering is monoecious, with yellowish-green male catkins 2-3" long in axils of leaves of previous season; female flowers on short spikes at the ends of branches.
Fruit: 1" x 0.8", slightly pear-shaped, hard-shelled nuts formed in the fall from female flowers of trees 25-30 years old. Nutmeats oare bitter and bland to taste.
Natural Distribution: Woodlands, dry ridges, rocky hillside, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: FACU (FAC on coast)
Pollination: Wind
Wildlife Connections: Nuts are high in fat and protein and although bitter in taste, are an important food source for squirrels, foxes, bears, rabbits, raccoons, wild turkeys; foliage serves as larval host for Luna Moth, Funeral Dagger, and Giant Regal Moth (Illinois wildflowers.info).
Propagation: By seed.