It also makes an excellent fuelwood for cook stoves, furnaces, or fireplaces. 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 (C. cordiformis) is our only hickory with long, bright yellow buds. It is used for crates and boxes, and for fuel and for smoking meats. I cut a hickory “Carya ovalis?” log this week and posted the pictures online. All hickory flowers are quite similar. Bitternut Hickory Firewood. The bark is diuretic and laxative. It weighs 47lb per cubic foot. Dip your fine artisan bread in our oil. On average, Hickory is denser, stiffer, and harder than either White Oak or Hard Maple. In addition to strength and hardness applications, the wood of Carya species also has a very high thermal energy content when burned, and is sometimes used as fuelwood for wood stoves. (This is a monthly update, and your email will be kept private.). Use it to make one of the best salad dressings you have ever made. But they are also very adaptive and grow in more upland and dryer areas. however, the one pictured is … Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground. Identifying and Using Hundreds of Woods Worldwide, POSTER: Worldwide Woods: Ranked by Hardness. The strength characteristics of Pecan are  somewhat influenced by the spacing of its growth rings. Squirrels also nibble on the buds. Manning – Mexican hickory; Ecology. They are riparian trees, loving low lying areas and river banks. It is the northernmost of the hickories, and has the largest range, occuring throughout the eastern deciduous forests. It is one of the most common hickories in Kansas. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. These shells need cracking open, which can be done using anything that exerts a force. The bark, leaves, buts, and look are the same as other hickory I have cut in the past. Allergies/Toxicity: Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, no further health reactions have been associated with Bitternut Hickory. Bitternut hickory is a medium-sized tree with a long, clear trunk and broad, spreading crown. Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) Click on the images help you identify an Bitternut hickory. It is present in every county in Illinois. Sometimes it can be found on drier slopes of hills. Shelled hickory nuts. Prices are usually in the low to mid range, depending upon local availability. This champion Bitternut Hickory of Virginia made its debut on the National Register of Champion Trees in 2017. Native. Grain/Texture: Grain is usually straight, though occasionally wavy, with a medium texture. It is the shortest-lived of the hickories, living to about 200 years. Because bitternut hickory wood is hard and durable, it is used for furniture, paneling, dowels, tool handles, and ladders. Bitternut hickory is also called yellow-bud hickory. The wood is commonly used where strength or shock-resistance is important. The bitternut hickory is Canada’s most abundant hickory, it is a large deciduous tree that typically grows up to 35 meters tall. It also makes an excellent fuelwood for cook stoves, furnaces, or fireplaces. It is the largest known tree of its species in the country as reported to American Forests. Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound, 6–12 inches long, with 7–9 elliptical, toothed leaflets. It will occur in soils within a PH range of 5-7+, and is the most commonly regenerated hickory … Although the wood tends to be brittle, it has an amazing quality of shock-resistance and is used for hoops, tool handles etc, though it is considered to be inferior to other hickories [82, 227, 229]. Medicine: Inhaling the fumes of fresh hickory shoots placed on hot stones was used by Chippewa for convulsions. Use it in stir fries and baking. Like all hickories, debris from its fruit drops from late summer throughout autumn, making fall cleanup in urban areas more challenging. In Iowa it is found quite widely throughout the state except in the northwestern part. The wood is somewhat lighter and weaker than in other hickories. The bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) is a tall slender tree, 60 to 80 feet tall. It is a large, deciduous tree that grows to a height of 35 meters. The hickory nut inside the shell looks somewhat similar to a pecan, which is a closely-related nut.The two also share a similar mildly sweet taste. Bitternut definition is - a hickory (Carya cordiformis) of the eastern U.S. having a slender trunk, rough bark, leaves with seven or nine leaflets, and a thin-shelled very bitter nut—called also bitter hickory, bitter pignut, swamp hickory. It is a moderately fast growing tree, but it is short-lived compared with other hickories. Bitternut hickory, though present throughout the eastern forest, does not grow in sufficient numbers to be included as a titled species in the Society of American Foresters forest cover types (8), but it is mentioned as an associated species in six types. The leaves are imparipinnate and the flowers are yellow-green. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information. There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. Comments: Hickory is among the hardest and strongest of woods native to the United States. Bitternut hickory ranks third in heating value among hickories; it burns with an intense flame and leaves little ash. The strength characteristics of Pecan are somewhat influenced by the spacing of its growth rings. Bitternut hickories grow up to 115 ft. (35 m) tall with an irregular oval crown. Bitternut hickories produce inedible, bitter-tasting nuts. As nouns the difference between butternut and bitternut is that butternut is (us|obsolete) a confederate southerner, or somebody who supported southern rights and slavery while bitternut is the (bitternut hickory), , a common hickory tree native to the eastern united states and southeast canada. Used to smoke meats. Pricing/Availability: Various species of Hickory and Pecan (Carya genus) are typically mixed together and simply sold as Hickory. Pores are medium-sized and open. It is the shortest-lived of the hickories, living to about 200 years.It grows best on low, moist ground or in rich soil in higher ground. Description of the plant: Bitternut hickory. The Bitternut Hickory is botanically called Carya cordiformis. It is a choice fuel for smoking meats (15). I am not sure after seeing the picture (as they are grainy at best) he can identify this wood. K.Koch – bitternut hickory; Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) It is found on moist sites on upper flood plains and at the bottom of slopes. Another name for a bitternut is swamp hickory. It has large, compound leaves, a one-inch, four-part nut, and yellow fall color. Fluorescence: A Secret Weapon in Wood Identification, Bow Woods (from a mathematical perspective), Brazilian Rosewood, East Indian, and Other Rosewoods, Genuine Lignum Vitae and Argentine Lignum Vitae, BOOK: WOOD! An “expert” started this is oak and not hickory. They are the most widely distributed of the hickories, their range covering much of the east and central US. Kernel is bitter. Rot Resistance: Considered to be non-durable to perishable regarding heartwood decay, and also very susceptible to insect attack. All ways I have ever used this oil, I have liked. It is highly prized as a fuel for making hickory-smoked meats and is also used for making barbecue charcoal. Male and female flowers occur on the same tree: male catkins in threes, slightly hairy, 3–4 inches long; female catkins in ones or twos. It is widely distributed over the eastern United States as far west as Kansas and Nebraska. Nut tip is sharp. Bark. Comments: Hickory is among the hardest and strongest of woods native to the United States. Nuts from the pignut or bitternut hickory nut trees are generally considered the most bitter and worst tasting when consumed raw. However, White … The Tree is a deciduous tree, it will be about 50 m (164 ft) high. However, the easiest way to crack nutshells is to use a specialist nut cracker such as this one (disclosure: affiliate link).. A very good fuel, burning well and giving off a lot of heat. The wood is commonly used where strength or shock-resistance is important. Find local MDC conservation agents, consultants, education specialists, and regional offices. Yellowbud Hickory - Carya cordiformis - OKI Habitat/Niche - aka Bitternut Hickory. Form. Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants. It is highly prized as a fuel for making hickory-smoked meats and is also used for making barbecue charcoal. The wood is commonly used where strength or shock-resistance is important. Height 40' to 75', diameter 10" to 25"; tall and slender with straight, green trunk and broad, rounded crown. Technology: Also known as Bow Wood for the use in making archery bows. Nuts from the shellbark, shagbark, and pecan hickory nuts trees are typically considered the best. Uses: Excellent fuel source. In general, wood from faster-growing trees, with wider spaced growth rings, tends to be harder, heavier, and stronger than wood from slower-growing trees that have rings which are closer together. Responds well to steam bending. Multiple Choice Question: Which is not a use of the bitternut hickory: A: Wood for smoking meat B: Wood for furniture C: Nuts as food D: Wood as Fuel We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources. Tree Size: 100-130 ft (30-40 m) tall, 2-3 ft (.6-1.0 m) trunk diameter, Average Dried Weight: 46 lbs/ft3 (735 kg/m3), Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .60, .74, *Estimated hardness based on specific gravity, Modulus of Rupture: 17,100 lbf/in2 (117.9 MPa), Elastic Modulus: 1,790,000 lbf/in2 (12.35 GPa), Crushing Strength: 9,040 lbf/in2 (62.3 MPa). Bitternut hickory is also referred to as “swamp hickory” and anything that is associated with a swamp is definitely a red headed step child. Leaflets dark yellow-green and smooth above, pale and slightly hairy below, on hairy stalks. Common Uses: Tool handles, ladder rungs, wheel spokes, flooring, etc. Copyright © 2008-2021 Eric Meier | All Rights Reserved. Comments: Bitternut hickory grows rapidly. On average, Hickory is denser, stiffer, and harder than either White Oak or Hard Maple. Because Bitternut Hickory has nuts that are very bitter (as the common name suggests), mammals and birds make little use of them as a source of food. by Rick Coleman (Laurel, MD) Here in suburban Maryland, you would have to say that the best all-purpose firewood is red oak, both because it is a very good wood--all its characteristics are positive--and because it is one of the most abundantly-growing local trees. Workability: Difficult to work, with tearout being common during machining operations if cutting edges are not kept sharp; the wood tends to blunt cutting edges. While hickory nuts are not poisonous to dogs, they can cause laminitis if … Bark is smooth and light gray when young, shallowly grooved with thin, flat, interconnecting ridges with age, not becoming scaly or shaggy. The Division of Forestry promotes and applies management for the sustainable use and protection of Ohio’s private and public forest lands. The nut tip is sharp. Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) Bitternut hickory trees have large pinnate leaves, slender green twigs, and grayish bark with diamond pattern fissuring. Identity Taxonomic Tree List of Pests Uses List Summary. Bitternut hickory ranks third in heating value among hickories (25); it burns with ~m intense flame and leaves little ash. Nuts of the Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) are to bitter for food and are also avoided by most animals. It is a choice fuel for smoking meats. Bitternut Hickory falls into the Pecan-Hickory grouping, which tends to be slightly stabler but weaker than the True-Hickories, and is considered to be a semi-ring-porous wood. Fruits September–October, solitary or paired nuts, nearly globe-shaped, covered by a thin yellow-green husk with yellow scales, partly winged along the lines where it splits. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Common Uses: Tool handles, ladder rungs, wheel spokes, flooring, etc. Small bitternut hickories will grow in dense shade under the tops of sugar maple, white oak, white ash, and black walnut (among others) and still survive. Bitternut hickory wood is shock resistant and has been used to make handles for striking tools. Its distribution in Ohio is general and it has been reported from every county in the state. The apical leaflets are the largest among all. Color/Appearance: Heartwood tends to be light to medium brown, with a reddish hue; sapwood is a paler yellowish brown. Boards with contrasting heartwood and sapwood create a somewhat rustic appearance that’s sometimes marketed as Calico Hickory. Granite-gray, faintly tinged with yellow; broken into thin, platelike scales. Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) Bitternut hickory is also known as the swamp hickory. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. When shell thickness was compared on 10 nuts from each of 5 trees from each of the 13 U.S. hickories, the thinnest shells were found on C. aquatica, while bitternut and pecan could not be distinguished (Ring, unpublished data). This tree is distinctive in winter with its bright yellow buds and slender, pale twigs with corky rises. Are Rosewoods (and Bubinga) really banned by CITES? Because bitternut hickory wood is hard and durable, it is used for furniture, paneling, dowels, too] handles, and ladders. The leaves of bitternut hickory are pinnate, having 7 to 11 leaflets. Both male and female flowers appear on the same tree. Herb: Bitternut Latin name: Carya cordiformis Synonyms: Hicoria cordiformis, Juglans cordiformis Family: Juglandaceae (Walnut Family) Medicinal use of Bitternut: The oil from the seeds has been used in the treatment of rheumatism. FYI: I receive a commission on sales generated through links to Amazon, eBay, etc. Yellowbud Hickories are the most widely adapted of our hickory trees, more generalist; less specialized. They emerge in spring with the leaves. Although the bitter nuts are inedible for humans, many animals, such as squirrels, mice, and deer, consume them. Bitternut hickory is cut and sold in mixture with the true hickories. The flowers are small catkins. He mentiond “red flecks” he sees in the wood are not indicative to hickory, but probably oak. Bitternut hickory is a large north American native tree, best reserved for larger landscapes. Hickory prices should compare similarly to other utility hardwoods such as Red Oak or Soft Maple. Hickory is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species. Native Americans used an infusion of bark as a laxative and used the crushed nuts in soups and bread-making. These include: Luna moth (Actias luna) Brown-tail (Euproctis chrysorrhoea) Coleophora case-bearers, C. laticornella and C. ostryae Bitternut hickory wood is shock resistant and has been used to make handles for striking tools. Occurs in low woods along streams and river bottoms and at the bases of moist slopes and cliffs. Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory) Index. Bitternut Hickory falls into the Pecan-Hickory grouping, which tends to be slightly stabler but weaker than the True-Hickories, and is considered to be a semi-ring-porous wood. Additionally, Hickory is also used as charcoal in cooking meat, with the smoke imparting additional flavor to the food. It also grows on the widest variety of sites, from drier ridge tops to rich, well-drained soils. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Twigs are stout, greenish- to reddish-brown, shiny, hairy at first and smooth later; pores are numerous, small, and pale. K.Koch – pecan; Carya palmeri W.E. Also, some of our most spectacular and colorful moths, including the luna moth, regal moth, and several underwing moths, require hickory leaves as food. Glues, stains, and finishes well. The tree likes Sun to half-shade at the location and the soil should be humid and tolerates poor soils. Like its cousin the pecan, which also favors river bottoms, their leaves and nut husks are strikingly similar. The 'Dennis' hickory is also C. cordiformis, based on samples recently (2005) found in the McKay Nut collection at the National Arboretum. The leaves turn yellow in autumn. The tree came off a military reservation in sw Georgia and was identified by the forestry agent on the base. The bitternut hickory has virtually no consistently clean and healthy leaves. Flowers April–May. The fruits are nearly globe-shaped, relatively small, covered by a thin yellow-green husk with yellow scales, and partly winged along the lines where it splits. Call 1-800-392-1111 to report poaching and arson. 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Are pinnate, having 7 to 11 leaflets species in the past ever used this oil, have! Makes an excellent fuelwood for cook stoves, furnaces, or fireplaces the widest variety of sites, from ridge. In winter with its bright yellow buds and slender bitternut hickory uses pale twigs corky. Wood are not indicative to hickory, but it is the northernmost of the best salad dressings you have used... Can be found on moist sites on upper flood plains and at the and! Hickory I have cut in the northwestern part ; it burns with ~m intense flame and leaves little ash hickory. With a single trunk of Ohio bitternut hickory uses s sometimes marketed as Calico hickory such. Can identify this wood at best ) he can identify this wood is.