Sweet Pignut Hickory
Carya ovalis
Family: Junglandaceae
Leaf Type: Deciduous
Mature Height: ~15 m (~50 ft)
Fall Color: Red-orange
Native Range: Sweet pignut hickories can be found throughout most of the Southeast and into parts of the Midwest and Northeast.
Features
The leaves of sweet pignut hickories are compound with seven leaflets. The entire leaf is around nine inches long. The leaflets are each around five inches long and are slender, pointed ovals. The fruit of all trees in the walnut family are nutritious nuts encased in a hard outer husk. Sweet pignut hickories have a pear-shaped fruit with a thin husk which is green until it matures to a dark brown. We recommend not sampling the fruits and nuts of the trees and plants here at Adventure Science Center. Sweet pignut hickories have thin bark that is in smooth, interlacing ridges.
Fun Facts
● American basswood is commonly used for solid body electric guitars.
● The name basswood came from a use made by native Americans of using its fibrous, tough inner bark or "bast" for making cordage and ropes.
● The fragrant flowers of the American Basswood are favored by bees, and this tree is often known as the “bee tree,” producing a strongly flavored honey by these hard-working pollinators.
● The inner bark was historically used Native Americans for making baskets, rope, and fishing nets.
Did you know that trees provide homes for animals, keep us cool and clean our air? Click here to learn more about the benefits that trees provide to us and our world.
The Sweet Pignut Hickory is presented by LP Building Solutions.
