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Hickory is a common name for
trees In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are u ...
composing the
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...
, and
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
(
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and two to four are native to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. A number of hickory species are used for products like edible nuts or wood. Hickories are
temperate forest A temperate forest is a forest found between the tropical and boreal regions, located in the temperate zone. It is the second largest biome on our planet, covering 25% of the world's forest area, only behind the boreal forest, which covers abou ...
trees with
pinnately Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and in ...
compound leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ste ...
and large nuts. Hickory
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are small, yellow-green
catkin A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in ''Salix''). They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged cl ...
s produced in spring. They are
wind-pollinated Anemophily or wind pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen is distributed by wind. Almost all gymnosperms are anemophilous, as are many plants in the order Poales, including grasses, sedges, and rushes. Other common anemophilous plan ...
and
self-incompatible Self-incompatibility (SI) is a general name for several genetic mechanisms that prevent self-fertilization in sexually reproducing organisms, and thus encourage outcrossing and allogamy. It is contrasted with separation of sexes among individuals ...
. The
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
is a globose or oval nut, long and diameter, enclosed in a four-
valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings ...
d
husk Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes the protective ...
, which splits open at maturity. The nut shell is thick and bony in most species, and thin in a few, notably the pecan (''C. illinoinensis''); it is divided into two halves, which split apart when the seed germinates.


Etymology

The name "hickory" derives from a Native American word in an Algonquian language (perhaps
Powhatan The Powhatan people (; also spelled Powatan) may refer to any of the indigenous Algonquian people that are traditionally from eastern Virginia. All of the Powhatan groups descend from the Powhatan Confederacy. In some instances, The Powhatan ...
). It is a shortening of ''pockerchicory'', ''pocohicora'', or a similar word, which may be the name for the hickory tree's nut, or may be a milky drink made from such nuts. The genus name ''Carya'' is grc, κάρυον, ''káryon'', meaning "
nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...
".


Species and classification

The genus ''Carya'' is in the walnut family,
Juglandaceae The Juglandaceae are a plant family known as the walnut family. They are trees, or sometimes shrubs, in the order Fagales. Members of this family are native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Southeast Asia. The nine or ten genera in the family have ...
. In the
APG system The APG system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system) of plant classification is the first version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy. Published in 1998 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, it was replaced by the improved AP ...
, this family is included in the order
Fagales The Fagales are an order of flowering plants, including some of the best-known trees. The order name is derived from genus ''Fagus'', beeches. They belong among the rosid group of dicotyledons. The families and genera currently included are a ...
. Several species are known to hybridize, with around nine accepted, named hybrids.
Beaked hickory ''Annamocarya'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Juglandaceae, containing only one species, ''Annamocarya sinensis'', native to southwestern China ( Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan) and northern Vietnam. It is related to the hickories, and ...
(''Annamocarya sinensis'') is a species formerly classified as ''Carya sinensis'', but now considered its own genus, ''
Annamocarya ''Annamocarya'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Juglandaceae, containing only one species, ''Annamocarya sinensis'', native to southwestern China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan) and northern Vietnam. It is related to the hickories, and w ...
''.


Asian hickories

''Carya'' sect. ''Sinocarya'' *'' Carya dabieshanensis'' M.C. Liu – Dabie Shan hickory (may be synonymous with ''C. cathayensis'') *''
Carya cathayensis ''Carya cathayensis'' () ( common name Chinese hickory) is a species of hickory native to China. Peeled and roasted nuts, known as 山核桃仁, are a well-known specialty of Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciatio ...
'' Sarg. – Chinese hickory *''
Carya hunanensis ''Carya hunanensis'' is a species of hickory native to China. It was first described by Wan Chun Cheng and R.H. Chang. ''Carya hunanensis'' is part of the genus ''Carya'', and the family Juglandaceae The Juglandaceae are a plant family known ...
'' W.C.Cheng & R.H.Chang – Hunan hickory *''
Carya kweichowensis ''Carya kweichowensis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Juglandaceae, native to southwestern Guizhou, China. A montane forest tree reaching , it is closely related to ''Carya sinensis ''Carya sinensis'' (syn. ''Annamocarya sinens ...
'' Kuang & A.M.Lu – Guizhou hickory *''
Carya poilanei ''Carya poilanei'' is a very large species of hickory native to northern Laos, northern Vietnam, Thailand, and southern China. It was first described by Auguste Jean Baptiste Chevalier, and given its current name by André Leroy. ''Carya poilanei ...
'' Leroy – Poilane's hickory *''
Carya tonkinensis ''Carya tonkinensis'', the Vietnam hickory, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Carya Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Ind ...
'' Lecomte – Vietnamese hickory


North American hickories

''Carya'' sect. ''Carya'' – typical hickories *''
Carya floridana ''Carya floridana'' (syn. ''Hicoria floridana'') the scrub hickory, is a tree native to the Southeast United States, where it is endemic in central Florida. Although it can grow to the height of 25 m (80 ft), many specimens are seen as shrubs 3 ...
'' Sarg. – scrub hickory *''
Carya glabra ''Carya glabra'', the pignut hickory, is a common, but not abundant species of hickory in the oak-hickory forest association in the Eastern United States and Canada. Other common names are pignut, sweet pignut, coast pignut hickory, smoothbark ...
'' (Mill.) Sweet – pignut hickory, pignut, sweet pignut, coast pignut hickory, smoothbark hickory, swamp hickory, broom hickory *''
Carya laciniosa ''Carya laciniosa'', the shellbark hickory, in the Juglandaceae or walnut family is also called kingnut, big, bottom, thick, or western shellbark, attesting to some of its characteristics. It is a slow-growing, long-lived tree, hard to transpla ...
'' (Mill.) K.Koch – shellbark hickory, shagbark hickory, bigleaf shagbark hickory, kingnut, big shellbark, bottom shellbark, thick shellbark, western shellbark *''
Carya myristiciformis ''Carya myristiciformis'', the nutmeg hickory, a tree of the Juglandaceae or walnut family, also called swamp hickory or bitter water hickory, is found as small, possibly relict populations across the Southern United States and in northern Mexic ...
'' ( F.Michx.) Nutt. – nutmeg hickory, swamp hickory, bitter water hickory *''
Carya ovalis ''Carya ovalis'', the red hickory or sweet pignut hickory, is a fairly uncommon but widespread hickory native to eastern North America. It is typically found growing in dry, well drained sandy upland ridges and sloped woodlands from southern Onta ...
'' (Wangenh.) Sarg. – red hickory, spicebark hickory, sweet pignut hickory (treated as a synonym of ''C. glabra'' by ''Flora N. Amer.'') *''
Carya ovata ''Carya ovata'', the shagbark hickory, is a common hickory in the Eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large, deciduous tree, growing well over tall, and can live more than 350 years. The tallest measured shagbark, located in Sav ...
'' (Mill.) K.Koch – shagbark hickory **''C. o.'' var. ''ovata'' – northern shagbark hickory **''C. o.'' var. ''australis'' – southern shagbark hickory, Carolina hickory (syn. ''C. carolinae-septentrionalis'') *''
Carya pallida ''Carya pallida'', sand hickory, or pale hickory is a species of hickory native to the southeastern United States. It is a perennial, dicotyledonous plant which prefers rocky or sandy habitats. The sand hickory can reach heights of up to 30m, b ...
'' (Ashe) Engl. & Graebn. – sand hickory *''
Carya texana ''Carya texana'', or black hickory, for its dark colored bark, is a North American tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae. It is endemic to the United States, found primarily in the southern Great Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley. It is ...
'' Buckley – black hickory *''
Carya tomentosa ''Carya tomentosa'', (mockernut hickory, mockernut, white hickory, whiteheart hickory, hognut, bullnut) is a tree in the Juglandaceae or walnut family. The most abundant of the hickories, common in the eastern half of the US, it is long lived, ...
'' (Poir.) Nutt. – mockernut hickory (syn. ''C. alba'') * ''
Carya washingtonensis ''Carya washingtonensis'' is an extinct species of hickory nut in the walnut family Juglandaceae. The species is solely known from the Miocene sediments exposed in Kittitas County near Ellensburg, Washington. Type locality The species was descr ...
''
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
– Miocene of
Kittitas County Kittitas County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. At the 2020 census, its population was 44,337. Its county seat and largest city is Ellensburg. The county was created in November 1883 when it was carved out of Yakima Coun ...
, Washington ''Carya'' sect. ''Apocarya'' – pecans *''
Carya aquatica ''Carya aquatica'', the bitter pecan or water hickory, is a large tree, that can grow over tall of the Juglandaceae or walnut family. In the American South it is a dominant plant species found on clay flats and backwater areas near streams and r ...
'' (F.Michx.) Nutt. – bitter pecan or water hickory *''
Carya cordiformis ''Carya cordiformis'', the bitternut hickory, also called bitternut or swamp hickory, is a large pecan hickory with commercial stands located mostly north of the other pecan hickories. Bitternut hickory is cut and sold in mixture with the true h ...
'' (Wangenh.) K.Koch – bitternut hickory *''
Carya illinoinensis The pecan (''Carya illinoinensis'') is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River. The tree is cultivated for its seed in the southern United States, primarily in Georgia ...
'' (Wangenh.) K.Koch – pecan *'' Carya palmeri'' W.E. Manning – Mexican hickory


Ecology

Hickory is used as a food plant by the
larvae A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...
of some
Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
species. These include: * Luna moth (''
Actias luna The Luna moth (''Actias luna'') also known as the American moon moth is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly known as giant silk moths. It has lime-green colored wings and a white body. The larvae ( ...
'') *
Brown-tail moth The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several year ...
(''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') * ''
Coleophora ''Coleophora'' is a very large genus of moths of the family Coleophoridae. It contains some 1,350 described species. The genus is represented on all continents, but the majority are found in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Many authors hav ...
'' case-bearers, ''C. laticornella'' and ''C. ostryae'' *
Regal moth ''Citheronia regalis'', the regal moth or royal walnut moth, is a North American moth in the family Saturniidae. The caterpillars are called hickory horned devils. The adult (imago) has a wingspan of . The species was first described by Johan Chri ...
s (''Citheronia regalis''), whose caterpillars are known as hickory horn-devils *
Walnut sphinx ''Amorpha juglandis'', the walnut sphinx, is the only species in the monotypic moth genus ''Amorpha'', which is in the family Sphingidae, erected by Jacob Hübner in 1809. The species was first described by James Edward Smith in 1797. Distribut ...
(''Amorpha juglandis'') * The bride (
nominate subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
'' Catocala neogama neogama'') *
Hickory tussock moth ''Lophocampa caryae'', the hickory tiger moth, hickory tussock moth, or hickory halisidota, is a moth in the family Erebidae and the tribe Arctiini, the tiger moths. The species is widely distributed in the eastern half of North America.http://mo ...
(''Lophocampa caryae'') The hickory leaf stem gall phylloxera (''
Phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs ...
caryaecaulis'') also uses the hickory tree as a food source. Phylloxeridae are related to
aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
s and have a similarly complex life cycle. Eggs hatch in early spring and the
gall Galls (from the Latin , 'oak-apple') or ''cecidia'' (from the Greek , anything gushing out) are a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants, fungi, or animals. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to be ...
s quickly form around the developing insects. ''Phylloxera'' galls may damage weakened or stressed hickories, but are generally harmless. Deformed leaves and twigs can rain down from the tree in the spring as
squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
s break off infected tissue and eat the galls, possibly for the protein content or because the galls are fleshy and tasty to the squirrels. The pecan gall curculio (''
Conotrachelus elegans ''Conotrachelus elegans'', the pecan gall curculio, is a true weevil species in the genus ''Conotrachelus''. It is found in North America where it feeds on galls of the hickory leaf stem gall phylloxera (''Phylloxera caryaecaulis''), found also o ...
'') is a true weevil species also found feeding on galls of the hickory leaf stem gall phylloxera. The banded hickory borer (''Knulliana cincta'') is also found on hickories.


Evolutionary history

The oldest fossils attributed to ''Carya'' are
Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of th ...
pollen grains from
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
and
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. Fossil and molecular data suggest the genus ''Carya'' may have diversified during the
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
. Modern ''Carya'' first appear in
Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...
strata 34 million years ago. Recent discoveries of ''Carya'' fruit fossils further support the hypothesis that the genus has long been a member of Eastern North American landscapes, however its range has contracted and Carya is no longer extant west of the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. Fossils of early hickory nuts show simpler, thinner shells than modern species with the exception of
pecan The pecan (''Carya illinoinensis'') is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River. The tree is cultivated for its seed in the southern United States, primarily in Georgia, ...
s, suggesting that the trees gradually developed defenses to
rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
seed predation. During this time, the genus had a distribution across the Northern Hemisphere, but the
Pleistocene Ice Age The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...
beginning 2 million years ago obliterated it from Europe. The distribution of Carya in North America also contracted and it completely disappeared from the continent west of the
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. Since fossil records show North America as having the largest number of Juglandaceae species, it is likely that the genus originated there and later spread to Europe and Asia.


Fruit

Some fruits are borderline and difficult to categorize. Hickory nuts (''Carya'') and walnuts (''
Juglans Walnut trees are any species of tree in the plant genus ''Juglans'', the type genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are referred to as walnuts. All species are deciduous trees, tall, with pinnate leaves , with 5–25 leaflets; t ...
'') in the
Juglandaceae The Juglandaceae are a plant family known as the walnut family. They are trees, or sometimes shrubs, in the order Fagales. Members of this family are native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Southeast Asia. The nine or ten genera in the family have ...
family grow within an outer husk; these fruits are sometimes considered to be
drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...
s or drupaceous nuts, rather than true botanical nuts. "Tryma" is a specialized term for such nut-like drupes.


Nutrition

Dried hickory nuts are 3% water, 18%
carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or ma ...
s, 13%
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
, and 64%
fat In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers spec ...
s (table). In a 100 gram (3.5 oz) reference amount, dried hickory nuts supply 657
calorie The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of on ...
s, and are a rich source (20% or more of the
Daily Value The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of health ...
, DV) of several
B vitamins B vitamins are a class of water-soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism and synthesis of red blood cells. Though these vitamins share similar names (B1, B2, B3, etc.), they are chemically distinct compounds that often coexist ...
and
dietary mineral In the context of nutrition, a mineral is a chemical element required as an essential nutrient by organisms to perform functions necessary for life. However, the four major structural elements in the human body by weight (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon ...
s, especially
manganese Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy use ...
at 220% DV (table).


Uses

Hickory
wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
is hard, stiff, dense and shock resistant. There are woods stronger than hickory and woods that are harder, but the combination of strength, toughness, hardness, and stiffness found in hickory wood is not found in any other commercial wood. It is used for
tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...
handles,
pickaxe A pickaxe, pick-axe, or pick is a generally T-shaped hand tool used for Leverage (mechanics), prying. Its head is typically metal, attached perpendicularly to a longer handle, traditionally made of wood, occasionally metal, and increasingly ...
handles, bows,
wheel A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction wi ...
spokes,
cart A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed tr ...
s, drumsticks,
lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...
stick handles,
golf club A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Wood (golf), Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; iron (golf), irons, the most versatile class ...
shafts (sometimes still called ''hickory stick'', even though made of
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
or
graphite Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on large ...
), the bottoms of
skis A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partial ...
,
walking sticks A walking stick or walking cane is a device used primarily to aid walking, provide postural stability or support, or assist in maintaining a good posture. Some designs also serve as a fashion accessory, or are used for self-defense. Walking sti ...
, and for punitive use as a
switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
(like
hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...
), and especially as a cane-like hickory stick in schools and use by parents.
Paddles A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened distal end (i.e. the ''blade''), used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered wa ...
are often made from hickory. This property of hickory wood has left a trace in some Native American languages: in
Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
, hickory is called ''mitigwaabaak'', a compound of ''mitigwaab'' "bow" and the final ''-aakw'' "hardwood tree". Due to its grain structure, hickory is more susceptible to moisture absorption than other species of wood, and is therefore more prone to shrinkage, warping or swelling with changes in humidity.
Baseball bat A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the sport of baseball to hit the ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than in diameter at the thickest part and no more than in length. Although histor ...
s were formerly made of hickory, but are now more commonly made of
ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
. Hickory is replacing ash as the wood of choice for Scottish
shinty Shinty ( gd, camanachd, iomain) is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, an ...
sticks (also known as camans). Hickory was extensively used for the construction of early aircraft. Hickory is also highly prized for
wood-burning stove A wood-burning stove (or wood burner or log burner in the UK) is a heating or cooking appliance capable of burning wood fuel and wood-derived biomass fuel, such as sawdust bricks. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal (usually cast i ...
s and chimineas, as its density and high energy content make it an efficient fuel. Hickory wood is also a preferred type for
smoking Smoking is a practice in which a substance is burned and the resulting smoke is typically breathed in to be tasted and absorbed into the bloodstream. Most commonly, the substance used is the dried leaves of the tobacco plant, which have bee ...
cured meats. In the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, hickory is popular for cooking
barbecue Barbecue or barbeque (informally BBQ in the UK, US, and Canada, barbie in Australia and braai in South Africa) is a term used with significant regional and national variations to describe various cooking methods that use live fire and smoke t ...
, as hickory grows abundantly in the region and adds flavor to the meat. Hickory is sometimes used for
wood flooring Wood flooring is any product manufactured from timber that is designed for use as flooring, either structural or aesthetic. Wood is a common choice as a flooring material and can come in various styles, colors, cuts, and species. Bamboo flooring ...
due to its durability in resisting wear and character. Hickory wood is not noted for rot resistance. A extract from shagbark hickory
bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...
is also used in an edible syrup similar to
maple syrup Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple tree ...
, with a slightly bitter, smoky taste. The
Cherokee Indians The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...
would produce a green dye from hickory bark, which they used to dye cloth. When this bark was mixed with maple bark, it produced a yellow dye pigment. The ashes of burnt hickory wood were traditionally used to produce a strong lye (potash) fit for
soapmaking Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are used as ...
. The nuts of some species are palatable and were used by Cherokee Indians in making
Kanuchi Kanuchi (Cherokee language, Cherokee: ''Ku-nu-che (ᎦᎾᏥ ga-na-tsi)'') is a hickory nut soup eaten originally by the Cherokee people and which consists primarily of ground hickory nuts boiled in water. Hickory was the nut of choice (probably ...
soup, while others are bitter and only suitable for animal feed. Shagbark and shellbark hickory, along with
pecan The pecan (''Carya illinoinensis'') is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico in the region of the Mississippi River. The tree is cultivated for its seed in the southern United States, primarily in Georgia, ...
, are regarded by some as the finest nut trees. Pecans are the most important nut tree native to North America. When cultivated for their
nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...
s, clonal (
grafted Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the rootstock. The succ ...
) trees of the same
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
cannot pollinate each other because of their self-incompatibility. Two or more cultivars must be planted together for successful
pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds ...
. Seedlings (grown from hickory nuts) will usually have sufficient genetic variation.


Gallery

File:Carya nuts.jpg, Comparison of North American ''Carya'' nuts File:Hickory nuts 6060.JPG, Ripe hickory nuts ready to fall File:2014-11-02 14 36 58 Hickory foliage during autumn along Woosamonsa Road in Hopewell Township, New Jersey.jpg, Autumn foliage


See also

*
Hican A hican is a tree resulting from a cross between a pecan and some other type of hickory (members of the genus ''Carya'') - or the nut from such a hybrid tree. Such crosses often occur naturally while most such hybrids produce unfilled nuts or ha ...
*
Walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...


References

*Philips, Roger. ''Trees of North America and Europe''. Random House, Inc., New York. , 1979.


External links


''Carya'' images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
* Damery, Jonathan
"The ''Carya'' Collection."
''Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website.'' Accessed 26 May 2020. {{Taxonbar, from=Q142788 * Edible nuts and seeds Extant Oligocene first appearances Native American cuisine of the Southeastern Woodlands Plant dyes Plants used in Native American cuisine Wood