12 Types of Hickory Tree to Know and How to Identify Each Correctly

Hickory trees are one of the most important hardwood trees in North America, but it isn't one single type of tree; it's a variety of species within the Carya genus. There are about 12 species native to North America. It's a valuable ornamental tree that can provide all-season interest in large enough landscapes.

Many people can easily recognize maples or conifers but cannot tell you what a hickory looks like. Below, we've got an essential guide to the hickory tree, including how to identify it and the common species to know.

Family	Juglandaceae
Botanical Name	Carya spp.
Native Region	North America and Asia
Mature Size	20-130 ft. tall, depending on the species
Tree Type	Deciduous
Leaf Type	Serrated
Bark Type	Ridged, flaked
Seed Type	Drupe

How to Identify Hickory Trees

Hickory trees have unique traits that, when combined, can almost guarantee the species.

Hickory trees have dark gray or brown bark with deep patterned furrows that peel upward. The leaves are compound, consisting of many smaller leaves on one stem alternating in odd pairs with a leaf at the tip.

Finally, besides the characteristic bark, the hickory nuts may be the most distinctive trait that might help you identify them. The fruiting bodies of hickory trees are notable for splitting into four segments that reach only halfway through the husk.

Hickory Bark

Individual species will have various traits, but all hickory trees generally have dark gray or brown bark that begins smooth and then develops ridges or furrows that may exfoliate, peel upward, and curve away from the trunk.

Hickory Leaves

The leaves are arranged oddly compound, containing anywhere from 3 to 17 serrated leaflets that range from light green to dark in the spring and summer to a golden yellow in the fall.

Hickory Seeds

The hickory seeds are the delicious nuts the tree is famous for. Considered a drupe, a seed with a thin skin, fleshy inner fruit, and a singular pit. The size of the seed ranges anywhere from half an inch to three inches and can be round to oval. Color can also vary being coppery brown to green.

About Hickory Trees

The hickory can be found across North America from Canada to Mexico in every USDA hardiness zone. It grows best in moist, rich soil often found at the bottom of hilly slopes at the edge of forests.

The species is immensely valuable in that it is used for its wood, nuts, and sap. The sap is often used as a deeper, more complex, flavored syrup. While humans use hickories for many things, ecologically they are vital to wildlife and host to numerous butterflies and moths across their native ranges.

Types of Hickory Trees

There are about 18 species of this important deciduous species, with most (12) being native to North America and the rest found in various parts of Asia. Most of the species in North America are found in the southern United States; there are a few suitable for growing in the northern climates.

The following hickory species are the most common in North America:

Shellbark Hickory Tree (Carya laciniosa)

The shellbark hickory is a large, extremely slow-growing tree that produces the largest nuts of the Carya species.

• Bark: Gray bark that begins smoothly on young trees and then forms loose, scraggily plates.
• Leaves: Have seven green-hued 1- to 1 1/2-inch odd-pinnate compound leaflets that stretch 4 to 8 inches long.
  
• Fruit: 1- to 3-inch cream-colored nut segmented into four with a thick, hard husk.
  
• Mature Size:60-80 ft. tall
  
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-8B

Shagbark Hickory Tree (Carya ovata)

The shagbark hickory is common across the east coast of North America and Canada and can be easily identified by its "shaggy" bark.

• Bark: Dark gray bark that peels away and upwards, giving it a shaggy appearance
• Leaves: Have five to seven alternate, medium yellow-green, odd-pinnate leaves that grow to an average length of 12 inches
• Fruit: The fruit is 1 to 3 inches long, split into four, and mature into dark brown with sweet edible meat
• Mature Size: 70- 90 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a-8b

Southern Shagbark Hickory Tree (Carya carolinae-septentrionalis)

A common tree in the eastern United States, southern shagbark's unique shaggy appearance makes it one of the easiest hickories to identify.

• Bark: Light to medium gray bark that exfoliates upwards and gives the tree a shaggy appearance
• Leaves: Dark alternate pinnately compound leaves
• Fruit: 2-inch long oval nut that splits into four segments
• Mature Size:70-90 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Pignut or Black Hickory Tree (Carya glabra)

The pignut hickory is a tree that can be found spread throughout the deciduous oak forests along the East Coast of the United States. Before the use of synthetics, the species was often used to make skis due to its strength and flexibility.

• Bark: Gray-brownridges that form interwoven diamond-like shapes as the tree matures
• Leaves:Odd pinnately compound leaves that are 8 to 12 inches and made up of five to seven obovate, lanceolate leaflets
• Fruit: One to two oval greenish-brown nuts that split into four halfway through their husk
• Mature Size:50-65 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b

Pecan Hickory Tree (Carya illinoinensis)

The pecan hickory tree—which offers the delicious pecan nut—is one of North America's most important nut-producing trees.

• Bark: Dark gray bark that is rectangularly furrowed
• Leaves: Green 4- to 8-inch pinnately compound leaf with 9 to 17 leaflets
  
• Fruit: 1- to 3-inch oval nut tan to light brown with sweet edible fruit
• Mature Size: 70 to 100 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b

Mockernut Hickory Tree (Carya tomentosa)

Aptly named the mockernut, the nut is edible like most hickory nuts but is extremely hard to extract from its shell. Meaning it mocks those trying to gain its fruit.

• Bark: Grayish brown bark with interconnected furrows that smooth with age
• Leaves: 10- to 18-inch long compound alternate, odd-pinnate leaves that are light green in the spring and summer and turn yellow in the fall
• Fruit: Four segmented 1 1/2- to 3-inch copper-colored drupes
• Mature Size:50-80 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a-9b

Bitternut Hickory Tree (Carya cordiformis)

While edible, as the name implies bitternut hickory tree's nut is not appetizing. It is small and bitter and only tastes appetizing when refined into flour.

• Bark: Smooth and gray, developing deep ridges with maturity
• Leaves: Compound leaves, with five to nine green, ovate leaflets
• Fruit: Very long to fruit, taking about 25 years until fruiting age. Small round nuts with a green husk
• Mature Size:50-80 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Red Hickory Tree (Carya ovalis)

The red hickory has a vast range but is relatively rare compared to other hickory trees in the wild.

• Bark: Unusually rough bark for a young tree; the bark begins to exfoliate and curve upwards with age
• Leaves: Compound leaves comprised of seven leaflets 3 to 6 inches long
• Fruit: Small oval husk that opens into four sections, revealing a creamy flesh-colored nut
• Mature Size:70-100 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8

Sand Hickory Tree (Carya pallida)

Often found growing in sandy, well-draining areas, this species is easily identified by the thick silvery hair on the underside of its leaves.

• Bark: Dark gray bark that forms diamond-shaped ridges as the tree ages
• Leaves: Alternate compound leaf with five to nine serrated, lanceolate leaflets with silver hair on the underside
• Fruit: Very sweet 3/4- to 1 1/2-inch yellow nut that browns as it matures
• Mature Size:80-100 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9

Scrub Hickory Tree (Carya floridana)

A smaller hickory that often grows in sandy areas along with grasses and shrubs. Compared to other hickory trees has a somewhat unkempt appearance.

• Bark: Compared to other trees in the species, the gray back of the scrub hickory has shallow fissures
• Leaves: Compound leaves that are roughly 8 inches long consisting of three to five leaflets
• Fruit: Small round fruit that is green in color with a very hard shell
• Mature Size:15-30 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9b-10a

Nutmeg Hickory Tree (Carya myristiciformis)

A rare species of hickory, found in very few places geographically.

• Bark: Long dark ridges that peel as the tree ages
• Leaves: 10-inch alternate, pinnately compound leaves with five to nine leaflets
• Fruit: Oval nuts are about an inch long and split into four segments
• Mature Size:30-100 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 7-11b

Black Hickory Tree (Carya texana)

The black hickory is loved for its wood by woodworkers. It grows extremely slowly, and the wood is especially hard and grained. It makes a wonderful shade tree in the hot southern climates.

• Bark: Dark gray in tight, irregular patterns
• Leaves: Compound leaves are made up of seven pear-shaped leaflets
• Fruit: Rounded nuts are 1 to 2 inches with a brown husk
• Mature Size:60-80 ft. tall
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9

Tips for Growing Hickory Trees

If you want to try growing hickory trees yourself, keep a few things in mind:

• Hickory trees can get big; be sure to have plenty of room for them to grow and spread.
• It can take a long time for your tree to get the pleasing bark you hope for, so be patient.
• Hickory trees need a lot of fertilizer and very rich soil.

FAQ

• What is special about a hickory tree?

  Hickory trees have been used as a resource by Native Americans, commercial industries, and wildlife forever. They provide food, wood, and, more recently, aesthetic value to our designed landscapes. The tree nuts are a valuable food crop and give us four-season interest in larger landscapes.

• Are hickory trees good to have?

  Hickory trees are an asset to have depending on your landscape goal. Their bark can help provide four-season interest in a landscape, and their foliage is an attractive yellow during the fall months, all while providing an amazing food source for wildlife and pollinators. On the other hand, they tend to be a bit messy, so if you want a low-maintenance yard with no cleanup, you might want to pick a different tree.

• Are hickory nuts edible?

  Most hickory nuts are edible, with the most famous hickory nut being the pecan. The hickory nut has been used as a food source for ages, either directly as a nut or refined in some manner.

• Is hickory wood valuable?

  Yes, hickory wood is very valuable and can be used for a variety of things. As a strong wood, hickory wood can be used for sports equipment and tool handles. In addition to its durability and strength, hickory is also aesthetically pleasing and is used in flooring, cabinetry, and furniture.

From: thespruce