Plant · P-541

Mockernut Hickory

Carya alba

Mockernut Hickory is the most drought-hardy of the hickories, an upland tree of dry ridges and hillsides named for a shell so thick it mocks the effort of cracking it. The kernel inside is sweet and worth the work, though small for the size of the nut, and the tough, heavy wood is the classic choice for tool handles, with the rest going to fuelwood and smoking meat. A deep, heavily branched taproot makes it nearly impossible to transplant, so it needs to go into its final spot as seed or a young plant. Squirrels, black bear and deer all use it, and older stems develop cavities that give birds a place to nest.