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Plant · P-542
Pignut Hickory
Carya glabra
Pignut hickory is a dry-slope tree valued more for its wood and shade than for its nut, which is small, thick-shelled and unpredictable - some kernels sweet, others bitter enough to be barely edible. Its tough, flexible wood goes into tool handles and sporting goods and burns hot as firewood, and spring sap makes a refreshing drink. It tolerates deeper shade than most hickories but cannot stand wet feet, and once it has taken root its strong taproot makes it nearly impossible to move.
Record at a glance
Growing profile
- Sun
- Full Sun · Partial Sun
- USDA zone
- USDA 4–9
- Soil
- Sand · Loam · Clay
- Moisture
- Dry · Well-Drained · Moderate
Vertical layer
Canopy- Soil pH
- 5–8
- Plant type
- Deciduous Tree
- Mature height
- 60–80 ft
- Mature spread
- 25–40 ft
- Plant spacing
- 50 ft
- Root type
- Tap
- Spread pattern
- Seed
Keep exploring
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American Basswood
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American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
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American Chestnut
Castanea dentata
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American Elm
Ulmus americana
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The deeper layer
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- Primary
- Locked ecological function
- Secondary
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- Byproduct
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