pignut hickory
Carya glabra
Pignut hickory is a relatively common species in eastern oak-hickory forests and provides a variety of wildlife with an important portion of their diet.
Fall
Color.
Pignut hickory is commonly used for furniture, tool handles, sporting goods, agricultural implements, shuttle blocks, mallets, mauls, and fuelwood.
The nuts, leaves, flowers, and bark of this species are eaten by various species of wildlife. Nuts represent approximately 10-25% of squirrel diets.
Intermediate in shade tolerance, especially towards the southern parts of its range, pignut hickory can be regenerated by group selection, shelterwood, and clearcut methods. Stumpsprouting is very important for regeneration. Slow growth of seedlings may warrant release from competition with other species.
Fun facts
The kernel of this hickory nut is very high in crude fat content - 70-80%, but often very bitter.Carya
Greek "karya or kaura" (walnut -Juglans regia).
glabra
glabrous (lacking hair).
2004 Virginia
Tech Forestry Department, all rights reserved. Text, images, and programming
by: Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Dr. John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson, Edward C. Jensen,
Guy Phillips, or Andrew
S. Meeks.
questions, comments, and criticisms: email John.Peterson@vt.edu