Carya cordiformis: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Said to be somewhat inferior to the other hickories, but is used for the same purposes: tool handles, furniture, interior paneling, and sporting goods. Also used to smoke ham and bacon.
Plant Profile: Carya cordiformis
Taxonomy: Carya cordiformisNames
Bitter Hickory, Bitternut, Bitternut Hickory, Bitter Pecan, Pig Hickory, Red Hickory, Swamp Hickory, White Hickory
Phonetic Spelling:KAIR-yuh kord-ih-FOR-miss
Genus:Carya
Species:cordiformis
Family:Juglandaceae
Carya cordiformis, commonly known as Bitternut Hickory, is a tall and slender deciduous tree characterized by its cylindrical shape and broad, pyramid-like crown. This species is indigenous to North Carolina and typically thrives in moist, fertile soils found in open areas that receive ample sunlight. While the Bitternut Hickory is intolerant of shade, it can adapt to various soil types. Its robust taproot makes relocation challenging, and as the tree grows, it requires significant space, which is an important factor to consider when planting it in a permanent location. In densely wooded environments, the trunk tends to be long and straight, with a shorter crown, whereas in open spaces, the trunk is shorter, and the crown takes on a larger, ovoid form. Throughout the year, the Bitternut Hickory can be distinguished from other native trees by its distinctive long, scaly, yellow buds. In low-lying areas, it can reach heights of 50 to 70 feet or more, with a straight trunk measuring between 1 to 2.5 feet in diameter. The wood is dense, strong, and heavy, featuring a reddish-brown heartwood. This tree is late to leaf out in spring and sheds its leaves early in autumn; however, while its foliage is present, it provides a light shade that allows grass and other plants to flourish beneath it. Some individual trees have been known to live for up to 200 years, but they typically do not begin producing nuts until they are at least 30 years old.
**Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems:**
There are no significant disease or insect issues associated with this tree. It is sensitive to shade, and while it may occasionally face challenges from pests such as the hickory bark beetle, pecan weevil, borers, and twig girdlers, these are not common. Additionally, it may experience occasional diseases like white heart rot, anthracnose, leaf blotch, powdery mildew, leaf spot, catkin blight, and crown gall.
Carya cordiformis Feature Summary
Carya cordiformis Image Gallery
Tags
#deciduous
#wildlife plant
#moths
#NC native
#nighttime garden
#pollinator plant
#Braham Arboretum
#larval host plant
#food source fall
#food source herbage
#coastal FAC
#bird friendly
#food source hard mast fruit
#mammals
#butterfly friendly
#moth larvae
#Piedmont Mountains FACU
#pollinator garden
#non-toxic for horses
#non-toxic for dogs
#non-toxic for cats
#audubon
#hickory horndevil moth
Similar Plants
Carya cordiformis is often confused with:
Carya cordiformis Feature Summary
Attributes
Said to be somewhat inferior to the other hickories, but is used for the same purposes: tool handles, furniture, interior paneling, and sporting goods. Also used to smoke ham and bacon.
Eastern Canada to Central & Eastern United States.
Northeast Canada west to Nebraska, south to Texas and east to Florida.
Several species of moth are attracted to the foliage. Larval host for butterflies and Luna moths. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
Thin shelled nut, but bitter and astringent.
Woody
medium flammability
Fruit
Nuts do not appear until the tree is about 30 years old. The 4-ribbed nut is about an inch long, roughly spherical, with a thin shell. The meat of the nut is very bitter. The husk is four-winged from the tip to about the middle and is covered with yellowish-green, scruffy hairs. Nuts display in October.
Nut
< 1 inch
Flowers
Monoecious with both male and female flowers produced on the same tree. The male flowers are arranged in greenish yellow catkins that are 3 to 5 inches long in clusters of 3, drooping downward from either the tips of the previous year's twigs or at the base of the current year's twigs. Each tiny male flower has a 3-lobed calyx and several stamens. The female flowers are small short spikes at the tips of the current year's twigs. Each female flower is about an 1/8 of an inch, consisting of an ovoid ovary with 4 prominent ridges and a pair of styles. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring for about 1 to 2 weeks.
Gold/Yellow
Green
Insignificant
Spike
Catkin
Spring
< 1 inch
Leaves
Leaves are 6 to 10 inches long with 7 to 9 long, oval, toothed leaflets that are dark yellow-green above and lighter below.
Deciduous
Green
Gold/Yellow
Gold/Yellow
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Lanceolate
Serrate
> 6 inches
Bark
The bark on the trunk is granite gray and faintly tinged with yellow. It is less rough that most of the hickories, yet it is broken into narrow, plate-like scales as it ages. The hard bark is initially smooth.
Light Gray
Smooth
Furrowed
Stem
Branches are gray and smooth, while twigs are gray or light brown. Young non-woody shoots are light green, terete, and glabrous; they have scattered lenticels that are white or pale yellow.
Gray/Silver
Smooth (glabrous)
Straight
Conspicuous
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Native Plant
Deciduous
Rounded
Pyramidal
Oval
Irregular
Ascending
Slow
Low
Coarse
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Nighttime Garden
Shade Tree
Street Tree
Black Walnut
Woodland
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Moths
Small Mammals
Carya cordiformis Image Gallery
Carya cordiformis Attributes
Carya cordiformis: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eastern Canada to Central & Eastern United States.
Carya cordiformis: Distribution
Northeast Canada west to Nebraska, south to Texas and east to Florida.
Carya cordiformis: Wildlife Value
Several species of moth are attracted to the foliage. Larval host for butterflies and Luna moths. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
Carya cordiformis: Edibility
Thin shelled nut, but bitter and astringent.
Carya cordiformis: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Carya cordiformis: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Carya cordiformis: Fire Risk Rating
extreme flammability
high flammability
low flammability
medium flammability
Carya cordiformis Fruit
Carya cordiformis: Fruit Description
Nuts do not appear until the tree is about 30 years old. The 4-ribbed nut is about an inch long, roughly spherical, with a thin shell. The meat of the nut is very bitter. The husk is four-winged from the tip to about the middle and is covered with yellowish-green, scruffy hairs. Nuts display in October.
Carya cordiformis: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Carya cordiformis: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Carya cordiformis: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Carya cordiformis: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Carya cordiformis Flowers
Carya cordiformis: Flower Description
Monoecious with both male and female flowers produced on the same tree. The male flowers are arranged in greenish yellow catkins that are 3 to 5 inches long in clusters of 3, drooping downward from either the tips of the previous year's twigs or at the base of the current year's twigs. Each tiny male flower has a 3-lobed calyx and several stamens. The female flowers are small short spikes at the tips of the current year's twigs. Each female flower is about an 1/8 of an inch, consisting of an ovoid ovary with 4 prominent ridges and a pair of styles. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring for about 1 to 2 weeks.
Carya cordiformis: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Carya cordiformis: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Carya cordiformis: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Carya cordiformis: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Carya cordiformis Leaves
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Description
Leaves are 6 to 10 inches long with 7 to 9 long, oval, toothed leaflets that are dark yellow-green above and lighter below.
Carya cordiformis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Carya cordiformis: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Gold/Yellow
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Carya cordiformis: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Carya cordiformis: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Carya cordiformis Bark
Carya cordiformis: Bark Description
The bark on the trunk is granite gray and faintly tinged with yellow. It is less rough that most of the hickories, yet it is broken into narrow, plate-like scales as it ages. The hard bark is initially smooth.
Carya cordiformis: Bark Color
Light Gray
Carya cordiformis: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Carya cordiformis Stem
Carya cordiformis: Stem Description
Branches are gray and smooth, while twigs are gray or light brown. Young non-woody shoots are light green, terete, and glabrous; they have scattered lenticels that are white or pale yellow.
Carya cordiformis: Stem Color
Gray/Silver
Carya cordiformis: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Carya cordiformis: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Carya cordiformis: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Carya cordiformis: Stem Lenticels
Conspicuous
Not Conspicuous
Carya cordiformis Whole Plant Traits
Carya cordiformis: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Carya cordiformis: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Carya cordiformis: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Carya cordiformis: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Carya cordiformis: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Carya cordiformis: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Carya cordiformis Cultural Conditions
Carya cordiformis: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Carya cordiformis: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Carya cordiformis: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Carya cordiformis: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Carya cordiformis: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Carya cordiformis: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Carya cordiformis Landscape
Carya cordiformis: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Carya cordiformis: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Carya cordiformis: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Carya cordiformis: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Carya cordiformis: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
