Hickory Trees are well-known hardwood deciduous trees, native throughout a wide range of the US! Sought after for their long-storing, hard-shelled nuts, all Hickory are excellent trees for use in the home landscape, a great provider of cooling shade!
Members of the Walnut family, Juglandaceae, Hickory trees feature Native hardiness, habitat for wildlife, and adaptable longevity. They are a valuable keystone species! Hickories are Nut trees that fall into the genus Carya (like their Pecan cousins).
Read on to learn more about these fantastic trees!
All About Hickory Trees
Hickory trees produce male catkins like Birch Trees and spikey clusters of female flowers in the spring. The trees can be either male or female trees, while others can have both male and female flowers on the tree and are therefore self-pollinating.
Female flowers will produce edible nuts in the fall that are encased in very hard shells, which typically need a nutcracker to open.
The lush, tropical-looking leaves are long and pinnately compound, in a steady green with toothy serrated margins.
Since these trees can be either male or female, be sure to plant in groups and create your very own nut tree grove or nut orchard, mixing your Hickory with other varieties for a larger harvest - for both yourself and your wildlife! Even if the trees have both male and female flowers on the same tree, multiple trees will increase pollination chances.
The nuts develop inside thick green husks that drop from the tree when ripe, and the fibrous husks dry to brown before splitting and revealing the pointed, round-to-oval, light-shelled nut inside.
Check Out Nature Hills' Favorite Hickory Varieties
Add one or more of these top 5 Hickory trees to your Nut Tree orchard so that you too can enjoy the delicious nuts, shade, and wildlife these vital keystone species support!
Shellbark Hickory Tree
Iconic shaggy bark that looks like it is peeling off in vertical strips, the Shellbark stands out all year round! Featuring the largest and tastiest nuts, these tall and broad trees mature to 60 - 80 feet in height and 40 - 60 feet wide, filling out with toothy pinnate foliage with 7 leaflets, each with saw-tooth margins. Shellbarks are fantastic natives that thrive in areas that occasionally flood because these trees do well in wetlands and along riparian areas throughout U.S. hardwood forests. The golden brown fall color and thin-shelled nuts are a bonus! Male and female flowers appear on separate trees, so plant multiples to boost pollination chances.
Black Hickory Tree
Very tall and wide with dark furrowed bark, the Black Hickory is the largest Hickory, growing up to 60-80 feet. The feathery compound foliage features 7 leaflets with toothy edges and hairy undersides. The black bark that gave this tree its name is a standout against winter snow and the lush green leaves! The tasty nuts can vary in size and taste and appear on the female trees in the fall.
Shagbark Hickory Tree
Especially shaggy bark and thin-shelled nuts, the Shagbark has an open canopy with rosy pink new growth that is tropical green summer foliage. The foliage has 5 leaflets with tufts of hairs along the toothy margins that turn brilliant gold in the autumn. The shaggy bark seems to peel away in vertical strips that curve outward. Growing up to 70 - 80 feet tall and spreading 40 - 50 feet wide. The tasty nuts appear on female trees if adequate male pollinators are nearby.
Mockernut Hickory Tree
A tough, strong tree with a rounded crown and stout, ascending branches, the Mockernut Hickory Tree features green leaves that are alternate and feathery compound foliage with 5 - 9 leaflets. The two-tone leaves can be yellowish-green and shiny, while the lower surface is often paler with light orange or brown hairs. Plus, the crushed leaves smell spicy, like orange rind!
Greenish, separate male and female flowers appear on the same tree and become sweet, delectable nuts. Mockernuts can grow at a moderate to slow speed to a grand height of 60-80 feet with a spread of 40-60 feet in width.
Pignut Hickory Tree
Lemony fall color and valuable wildlife resources, Pignut Hickories are keystone species for a wide variety of birds and mammals! One of the smallest nuts in the Hickory family, and having easy-to-shell seeds, Pignuts are named such because their flavor wasn’t fit for humans, so they fed them to their hogs. The nuts are edible but very bitter, and typically, a survival food that is best left for the wildlife. Growing 60 - 80 feet tall and 20 - 40 feet wide, the Pignut is one of the slimmest growing Hickories that is almost columnar! The thin gray bark is rough with crisscrossing cracks and scales, and it has a tall, graceful habit and radiant golden fall color.
Which Is The Best-Tasting Hickory Nut?
Hickory Trees usually do not begin bearing nuts until they are 15 to 20 years old. But once they are of bearing age, regular crops of Hickory nuts can be expected every year with occasional mast years.
With names like Pignut and Bitternut, it’s clear that some Hickory varieties may not be the most palatable despite being ’technically’ edible. So, which are the best (or at least better) tasting?
The Shagbark has flavorful nuts that taste like a cross between a Pecan and a Walnut, and the Shellbark is regarded as being highly flavorful, along with the tasty Black Hickory. However, the main reason Hickory nuts are not as commercially available is because of the difficulty of getting the nut meat free from the shells.
The nuts (once you’ve made sure there are no holes or cracks) can be dried and ripen and can be stored in a cool, dry place for several years.
How To Use Hickory Trees In Your Landscape
Landscapers and homeowners love the Hickory tree not only for their nuts but also for their lush shade and for their high, sturdy branches. Add to your windbreak and mixed tree canopies, which are great for blocking drifting snow while handling heavy snow loads.
Perfect specimen trees, these are lovely to adorn your front or backyard, but give them some room to grow.
These are fantastic lawn and shade trees! You'll enjoy reduced cooling costs and increased home equity with a large, long-lived tree like a Hickory. Plant in large open spaces and big backyards so a single tree can shade the entire area.
These keystone species will attract, support, and shelter wildlife, including squirrels, as well as songbirds, to your landscape. Additionally, several species of butterfly and moth use Hickory as Host Plants for their larvae!
Hickory wood has long been used for flooring because of its toughness and attractive appearance. Hickory tree wood is also one of the preferred woods for barbecue and hickory-smoked meats. Hickory trees are long-lived and, as a general rule, produce hard, strong, and stiff lumber! You don’t need to cut your tree down, but Hickory has a star-shaped pith in the center!
Caring For Hickory Trees
Fantastic US Natives that grow throughout the Eastern U.S., from cold USDA growing zone 4 in Northern climates to hot zone 8 and 9 Southern climates, the Hardwood Hickory has a very wide range of growing conditions.
Plant your Hickory Nut Tree or Nut orchard in a full-sun location. Choose a location that is well-drained or create a raised berm to plant in to avoid soggy root situations. However, native Hickory trees can thrive in occasionally wet soils but tolerate most moisture settings once established, even becoming drought-tolerant.
- Provide a 3-4 inch deep layer of mulch over the root system
- Prune Hickory when they are dormant (late winter/very early spring)
- Water new plants regularly using the Finger Test to help them get established
Get your new tree off on the right foot with these simple tips, planting advice in our #ProPlantTips, and with Nature Hills Root Booster!
Choose Hickories & Boost Your Curb Appeal & Wildlife Habitat!
Cold-hardy hardwood specimens, Hickory Trees are large-scale natives that house tons of wildlife while lowering your home's cooling costs and boosting curb appeal! Help retain the native biodiversity by ordering one or more of these keystone species for your landscape.
Fantastic edible landscaping trees, Hickory Trees create lasting memorials and legacies for generations to come! Check out these and more Nut Trees today at NatureHills.com!
Happy Planting!
