North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Juglandaceae > Carya (hickory)

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Common and widespread in wooded habitats in North Carolina, Mockernut Hickory has large leaves usually with 7 or 9 leaflets.

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Leaves are usually quite tomentose or fuzzy, and have a pleasing spicy fragrance when rubbed.

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Leaflet margin detail.

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

The correct scientific name for this taxon has been the subject of much debate and some authorites have argued that it should be Carya alba. Recently, however, it's been proposed to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature that C. alba be rejected due to ambiguity and confusion.

Mockernut Hickory (Carya alba) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Durham Co., NC
1 July 2010

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Durham Co., NC
29 Aug 2010

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Durham Co., NC
29 Aug 2010

Nuts are fairly large, round, and are not distinctly winged. Husks are thick and fragrant.

Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa) Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Bark is tight with a pattern of interlocking ridges and diamonds. Young tree shown here.


Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)
Shoreline along Falls Lake, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2008

Nuts are bitter to taste and have wings that extend about halfway (or a little more) down the side of the fruit.

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)
Shoreline along Falls Lake, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2008

Buds are described as sulfer yellow and have 4-6 valvate scales.

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)
Shoreline along Falls Lake, Durham Co., NC
6 Sep 2008

Bark is tight, not shaggy. Bitternut Hickory is common in NC, especially on forest slopes and in rich bottomlands.


Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. glabra)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Common statewide in North Carolina in wooded habitats. Leaves usually have 5 leaflets and are glabrous (not hairy) on the upper surfaces and usually most of the lower leaf surfaces as well.

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. glabra)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. glabra)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

The glabrous undersurface of these leaves along with the "normal" sized fruits indicate this is Carya glabra var. glabra.

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. glabra)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Developing bud. Mature buds may be somewhat scaly or fuzzy and are fairly large, up to 1.5cm long.

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. glabra)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

These immature fruits had fallen from the tree. Note they're slighly ridged and snouted.

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. glabra)
Orange Co., NC
24 June 2009

Bark of medium tree is tight, showing a pattern of interweaving ridges and diamond-shapes.


'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra megacarpa) 'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. megacarpa)
Roanoke Island in Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2009

This variety of Pignut Hickory is mostly found in the coastal plain and has large, pear-shaped fruits with very thick husks.

'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra megacarpa) 'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. megacarpa)
Roanoke Island in Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2009

'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra megacarpa) 'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. megacarpa)
Roanoke Island in Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2009

'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra megacarpa) 'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. megacarpa)
Roanoke Island in Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2009

Leaves are glabrous above and below.

'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra megacarpa) 'Coastal' Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra var. megacarpa)
Roanoke Island in Dare Co., NC
8 Nov 2009


Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) Pecan (Carya illinoiensis)
Planted in yard in Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2008

Planted for nuts and landscaping purposes, Pecan is not native to North Carolina. Pecan natively grows along the Mississippi valley in the south and central US.

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) Pecan (Carya illinoiensis)
Planted in yard in Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2008

Note "wings" along sides of fruits.

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) Pecan (Carya illinoiensis)
Planted in yard in Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2008

Leaves are alternate, compound, and have 11-19 leaflets, the most of any hickory found in NC.

Pecan (Carya illinoiensis) Pecan (Carya illinoiensis)
Planted in yard in Orange Co., NC
28 Sep 2008

Apparently Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers enjoy Pecan trees!


Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Edge of woods on Duke's campus, Durham Co., NC
3 Sep 2008

Uncommon to fairly common and statewide in NC, petioles are often (but obviously not always) reddish.

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Edge of woods on Duke's campus, Durham Co., NC
3 Sep 2008

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Red Hickory leaves usually have 5-7 leaflets.

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

In Autumn, hickories turn a beautiful rich golden color.

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Red Hickory nuts are round to elliptical and the husks split to the base along 2-4 sutures.

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011

Bark of medium-large trees is a somewhat scaly. It's not as tight as Carya glabra and not as shaggy as Carya ovata and shows less interwoven diamond pattern than Carya tomentosa.

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis) Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Orange Co., NC
2 Nov 2011


Carolina Shagbark Hickory (Carya carolinae-septentrionalis) Carolina Shagbark Hickory, Southern Shagbark Hickory (Carya carolinae-septentrionalis)
Duke Forest, Durham, NC
4 Nov 2009

Uncommon in the NC piedmont, this hickory generally grows in more upland habitats than C. ovata.

Carolina Shagbark Hickory (Carya carolinae-septentrionalis) Carolina Shagbark Hickory, Southern Shagbark Hickory (Carya carolinae-septentrionalis)
Duke Forest, Durham, NC
4 Nov 2009

Compared to C. ovata, C. carolinae-septentrionalis has thinner and blacker twigs, shorter buds, smaller leaves with smaller leaflets, and smaller nuts.

Carolina Shagbark Hickory (Carya carolinae-septentrionalis) Carolina Shagbark Hickory, Southern Shagbark Hickory (Carya carolinae-septentrionalis)
Duke Forest, Durham, NC
4 Nov 2009

Southern Shagbark Hickory nuts.



Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... Sep 6, 2006 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com