Mockernut Hickory Tree

Plant a hardy native shade and nut tree for you and your wildlife! The Mockernut Hickory Tree (Carya tomentosa) is a tough, strong tree with male and female separate flowers (monoecious) on the same tree. The greenish flowers that appear from April to May are long catkins on male trees or spiky on female trees.

The rounded crown and stout, ascending branches. The green leaves 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! The long male catkins and spikey female flower clusters appear in spring at the terminal ends of the branches.

Mockernut Hickory is hardy throughout USDA growing zones 4 to 9 and 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. These trees are wind-pollinated, and you'll get the best harvest when planting multiple trees in groves. The nuts ripen between September and October and have a dark reddish brown shell. The long-pointed kernels of these nut trees are sweet and edible.

Planting and Application:

Related to Pecans, Mockernut Hickories are fantastic shade trees and are long-lived lawn trees, so long as you give them a wide berth of mulch beneath their boughs to make collecting the nuts easier and walking under your tree barefoot a bit safer. Park a hammock beneath your tree and enjoy the cooling shade all summer!

Situate native shade trees on the side of your home to block the summer sun and reduce cooling costs. Once the deciduous foliage drops in the autumn, the warming sun will stream through the bare gray branches to help warm things up in the winter! Songbirds and wildlife will love your tree as much as you will!

Plant as part of a mixed windbreak border or a solitary specimen in the landscape! Groupings and groves in backyards and out-of-the-way areas to create a wildlife sanctuary or edible gardening food forest! Use the sweet nutmeats in baked goods, trail mix, or toasted and sprinkled over your oatmeal because they taste like a mix of maple, tropical fruit, and other Hickory nuts like Shagbark or Shellbark Hickory.

• Greenish Spring Flowers Become Sweet, Delectable Edible Nuts
• Yellowish-Green Compound Leaves With Hairy Undersides
• Tall Ascending Strong Branches
• Hardy Native Deciduous Tree
• Shade, Specimens, Edible Landscaping & Wildlife

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Hickory Trees prefer well-drained soils and need full sun with at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. Create a raised mound for planting if you have soggy soil. Bring in additional soil at least 18 inches high by three feet wide, and plant in that mound. Give trees a consistent amount of moderate water to keep your tree stress-free, improving their health and resistance to pests and disease. Provide a 3-4 inch thick layer of mulch over the soil surface out to the 'drip-line' of your tree. Prune in late winter. Don't grind any pruned limbs; cut them for excellent firewood. Use a few chips while smoking meat for that outstanding Hickory flavor!

Trees usually do not begin bearing nuts until they are 15 to 20 years old. Once of bearing age, crops of Hickory nuts can be expected every year!

• Full Sun
• Well-Drained Soil
• Prefers Moderate Regular Moisture
• Prune When Dormant
• Seldom Bothered By Deer

Plant some grandeur! The Mockernut Hickory Trees are just the edible landscaping you need for shade and native hardiness! Order yours today at Nature Hills!