Carya cordiformis (Bitternut Hickory)

One of the largest hickories, Carya cordiformis (Bitternut Hickory) is a medium to large deciduous tree of broadly columnar habit with an irregular, oval-rounded crown and a long branch-free trunk. Its gray-brown bark is shallowly furrowed. The stiff, ascending branches are clothed with long, slender, light to medium green leaves, 6-12 in. (15-30 cm), each with 5-9 ovate leaflets. They turn bright yellow in the fall. Several species of beautiful moth are attracted to the foliage. Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers appear in spring, the male flowers in long, graceful catkins, and the female flowers in short spikes. The female flowers are followed by bitter, hard-shelled nuts. Bitternut Hickory fruit is generally considered unpalatable to wildlife, and supposedly even squirrels tend to avoid them. Bitternut Hickory is the shortest-lived of the hickories, lasting about 200 years. This ornamental tree casts an open shade that allows grass or ornamentals to thrive underneath.

• Grows up to 50-80 ft. tall (15-24 m) and 30-50 ft. wide (9-15 m).
• Performs best in full sun to part shade in humusy, rich, moist to wet, well-drained soils.
• No routine pruning is necessary. Remove diseased, damaged, congested, or crossing shoots.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for crown gall, powdery mildew, and leaf spot.
• Propagate by seed sown in situ as soon as ripe; seedlings rapidly develop a deep tap root and resent transplanting.
• Native to eastern North America.