46. Pignut Hickory

Specimen Size: 73.7ft tall, 17.82in in diameter.

Location: Southeast corner of Paccar Hall, between Paccar and Denny.

Historical Background: Related to the pecan and black walnut, this tree produces valuable timber for furniture, tools, and construction materials. Historically, wooden wheels were also crafted from the wood because of its dense, shock resistant characteristics. The bark could be boiled in vinegar to create a black dye. The Algonquin people and other Native Americans used the oil substance extracted from boiling the nuts called “pawcohiccora” in Algonquin, as a spread in dishes. 

Non-native

Native Range: Eastern North America

Identifying Features: Unlike the similar walnut trees, hickory have a solid pith (the tissue in the stem of a vascular plant) and catkins occuring in threes on a common peduncle. The fruit also differs in that it occurs in a four chambered husk with a smooth seed. The pignut hickory has compound leaves, generally with 5 leaflets in two basal pairs and one terminal individual. The terminal leaflet is often significantly larger than that of the basal pairs. They are a dark green in color. The tree itself grows cylindrically and narrowly, with a dense canopy. Bark is smooth and greyish on younger trees, dark and fissured in distinctive diamond shapes on older specimens. Rounded ridges intersect the diamond shapes. The fruit occurs in a subglobose (nearly globular or globe shaped) nut, about 30mm wide and covered in a thin unridged husk that remains covering it into maturity.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: Tall and cylindrical in nature, with a dense canopy and branching.

2. Leaves: Pinnately compound, occurring alternately to about 12” (30cm). They are deciduous. There are usually about 5 leaflets, with two basal pairs and one terminal one which is often significantly larger than the others. They all exhibit wavy to sharp teeth on the margins and are dark green and deciduous. They are glabrous (smooth) except on the veins.

3. Bark: Smooth and greyish on younger trees, dark and fissured in distinctive diamond shapes on older specimens. Rounded ridges intersect the diamond shapes.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Flowers droop in 3 branched catkins, appearing as leaves emerge. The trees are monoecious. The fruit occurs in a subglobose (nearly globular or globe shaped) nut, about 30mm wide and covered in a thin unridged husk that remains covering it into maturity. Nuts are bitter and not very palatable.