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Red hickory

Carya ovalis

Common names:
red hickory, pignut hickory, false shagbark, small pignut

Content Detail

Red hickory is sometimes referred to as pignut hickory or false shagbark hickory. It has a slightly shaggy bark and good golden-yellow fall color. The nuts are edible and attractive to wildlife. This species is native to the Chicago region according to Swink and Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research.

  • Family (English) Walnut
  • Family (botanic) Juglandaceae
  • Planting site City parkway, Residential and parks
  • Tree or plant type Tree
  • Foliage Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)
  • Native locale Chicago area, Illinois, North America
  • Size range Large tree (more than 40 feet)
  • Mature height 60-100 feet
  • Mature width 60-80 feet
  • Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily)
  • Hardiness zones Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7, Zone 8
  • Soil preference Moist, well-drained soil
  • Tolerances Alkaline soil, Dry sites, Occasional drought, Wet sites
  • Season of interest early fall, mid fall
  • Flower color and fragrance Inconspicuous
  • Shape or form Round
  • Growth rate Slow
  • Transplants well No
  • Wildlife Browsers, Game birds, Migrant birds, Small mammals
  • Has cultivars Yes

Native geographic location and habitat: 

A Midwestern native, red hickory is commonly found in upland woods. C-Value: 5.  

Bark color and texture: 

Bark is dark gray with interlacing ridges. With age, it takes on a slightly shaggy look.

Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, and texture: 

The alternate, compound leaves have five to seven ovate leaflets. Leaves are medium green with toothed (serrate) margins. Fall color is golden brown.

Flower arrangement, shape, and size: 

Relatively inconspicuous, the tiny male flowers are in drooping clusters of catkin, while the small green female flowers are in spikes.

Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions: 

Fruits are edible nuts with four-ridged husks. The husks will split at the base when ripe.

Plant care:

Transplant only in the spring. Red hickory develops a long taproot, making it difficult to transplant. Like all hickories, debris from its fruit drop from late summer throughout autumn make fall cleanup in urban areas more challenging.

List of pests, diseases, and tolerances: 

Potential problems include anthracnose, hickory bark beetles, and galls. Tolerant of black walnut toxicity.

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