About Hickory Trees - Tips For Growing A Hickory Tree

Hickory trees tolerate most soil types, but insist on good drainage. The trees produce the most nuts in full sun, but also grow well in light shade. Falling nuts can damage cars, so keep hickory trees away from driveways and streets. Hickories are slow-growing trees that take 10 to 15 years to begin producing nuts.

How do you grow a hickory tree?

Plant the seeds to a depth of 1/2 inch immediately after retrieving them in the fall or after stratification in the spring. Plant three seeds for each desired hickory tree. Mulch the area with 2 inches of peat moss. Water after planting and every week until the seeds germinate and sprouts appear.

Where do hickory trees grow?

Hickory trees are native to the Eastern and Midwestern United States where they grow naturally along streams, rivers and in bottom lands. Most large, deciduous hickory trees bear edible nuts. They typically prefer moist soil, and many are useful for shade trees in parks and public spaces.

What kind of soil do hickory trees like?

The shellbark hickory grows in acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, wet and clay soils. It is drought-tolerant.

Are hickory trees worth money?

High-quality hickory logs are certainly on-par with red oak species—some instances more valuable, some instances less valuable. This of course depends upon who purchases your standing timber and the quality of your trees. White oak and black walnut are still pretty hot right now!

Do hickory trees have deep roots?

Rooting Habit- Bitternut hickory develops a dense root system with a pronounced taproot. It is windfirm and can be transplanted more successfully than any other hickory species (20). Early root growth is primarily into the taproot, which typically reaches a depth of 30 to 91 cm (12 to 36 in) during the first year (32).

How long does a hickory tree live?

Shagbark hickories reach maturity and start producing seeds at around 40 years old. The average lifespan is 200 years, but some longer-lived shagbarks can continue to produce seeds until age 300.

Can you eat hickory nuts off the tree?

Hickories have compound leaves with one stem and many leaflets. The green husk around the nut turns brown as it dries and can then be peeled away to expose the nut inside. The nuts produced by hickory trees are indeed quite edible, though some species of hickory nut taste better than others.

What are hickory trees good for?

Hickory wood is currently used to make home decor, such as flooring, cabinetry, and furniture, as well as tool handles (hammers, picks axes, etc.), sporting goods equipment, and industrial applications. In the past, hickory was used for carriage wheels and spokes, ladders, and for home construction.

How do you identify a hickory tree?

The best way to identify hickory trees is by their bark, leaves, and nuts. Hickory leaves are long with up to 17 pointed leaflets growing oppositely on each leaf stem. Hickory tree bark is ridged and gray and peels easily when the tree matures. Nuts from the common hickory trees are sweet.

How do you fertilize a hickory tree?

Fertilize the tree annually in early spring or fall. Measure the diameter of the trunk five feet (1.5 m.) above the ground and use a pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer for each inch (2.5 cm.) of trunk diameter.

What is killing hickory trees?

Hickory decline is a complex of diseases rather than a disease complex. The most widespread of the diseases is the one causing rapid crown decline and tree death. Stress events or stand conditions (e.g. drought, flooding, over-topping) predispose trees to hundreds to thousands of hickory bark beetle attacks.

Are hickory trees messy?

Hickory is a native tree that's commonly found in countrysides and Pennsylvania woods. Not a lot of them get planted in yards anymore because people often consider them "messy" due to the falling pods. ... Bitternut and pignut are two other hickory types that aren't nearly as tasty (somewhat bitter in flavor).

What tree is worth the most money?

A tree's value depends on species, size and quality. The most valuable species are black walnut and white and red oak trees that have grown large enough to yield high quality veneer butt logs.

Is Hickory better than Oak?

Oak is generally less expensive than maple or hickory. ... Maple and hickory are both harder woods than oak. Hickory has a bolder look than oak or maple and is often sold as wide planks. Hickory is the best choice over oak or maple for high traffic areas.

How much do hickory logs sell for?

You don't show your location, but Hickory sells for $3 to $4.50 per board foot in my area (4/4; 6/4 or 8/4, respectively). If I used woodweb's calculator correctly, you could have 300+ board feet in that log.

Do hickory trees grow fast?

All hickory trees are slow-growing, but can live for hundreds of years. The fastest growing true hickory is the shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) and the fastest growing pecan hickory is the pecan (Carya illinoensis). The pecan is the fastest growing of all hickory species, though still slower than other hardwoods.

How do you prune a hickory tree?

How to Prune Hickory Trees Correctly. In addition to well-honed tools and clean surfaces, it is important to make cuts correctly. Never cut into the main stem when removing a limb. Cut just outside the branch collar, using a slight angle that will force moisture away from the newly cut surface.

Do Shagbark hickory trees produce nuts every year?

After shagbark hickory trees are old enough to bear fruit they will produce hickory nuts in three year cycles. The most nuts will fall on a windy day or rainy day, when you have those elements of weather shaking those the hickory nut hulls from the tree. ...

How long do Pignut hickory trees live?

Carya glabra is a monoecious species, meaning that both male and female flowers are located on the same tree, and it can live to a ripe age of over 300 years old.

How can you tell how old a hickory tree is?

While you will not be able to pinpoint the age of a hickory tree precisely, you can estimate its age by looking at the height, the width and the circumference of the tree and comparing it to another hickory tree whose age you know.

Are there male and female hickory trees?

Hickory is monoecious plant (male and female flowers develop separately on each tree).