Carya glabra

Common Names

Pignut Hickory, Pignut, Broom Hickory, Small-Fruited Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory, Coast Pignut Hickory, Smoothbark Hickory, Swamp Hickory, Sweet Pignut, Hickory

Summary

Pignut hickory is a North American native tree in the Juglandaceae family, typically grows 50–65 ft tall with a 30–40 ft spread, though forest specimens can reach up to 100 ft, it features a dense oval crown and a straight trunk, leaves are 8–12 inches long, compound with 5–7 leaflets, turning golden yellow in fall, foliage is aromatic when crushed, the gray bark is smooth on young trees and develops ridges with age, the fruit is a pear-shaped nut with a rough husk and a bitter kernel, and the wood is heavy, hard, and versatile for tool handles, furniture, and sporting goods, native to much of eastern North America from Ontario to the Gulf Coast, it intergrades with other Carya species and exhibits regional variation, it grows best in full sun to partial shade on well-drained soils, tolerating clay, loam, or sand and showing drought tolerance once established, a long taproot makes transplanting difficult, propagation is by stratified seed or root sprouts, it can be used as a shade or landscape tree in parks or large yards, the nuts serve as a wildlife food source, while the wood is valued for many uses, pests such as borers, bagworms, fall webworms, and diseases like powdery mildew and leaf spot can occur, hardiness zones 4–9

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

50-80 feet

Spread

30-40 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-9

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained loamy soils

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soils, preferably acidic (light loamy or sandy soils); can be moist or occasionally dry.

Soil pH

6.0-7.5

Bloom Color

Yellow-green

Bloom Time

Spring (mid-March to early June)

Foliage Color

Dark green on the top and paler green beneath; may turn golden-yellow in fall.

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow to golden yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Slow-growing

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Fall.

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division, Stumpsprouting

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts birds, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators