Description
The hickories are long-lived, slow-growing trees. In their natural forest setting, they can grow slowly and stay small for years and years, until there is a hole in the canopy that they shoot up for, eventually becoming a dominant member of the canopy.
In cultivation, the hickories offer some of the most sought after hardwoods (more so shagbark than yellow bud). As a landscape tree, they offer tall, straight trunks and rich fall colors.
The yellow bud (aka bitternut) has one of the highest oil contents of any nut. Breeders around the region are working to select superior individuals to help usher in a regional hickory nut oil industry. For a family, the nuts from any yellow bud can easily be processed at home to make your own food grade oil! Similar in taste to olive oil.
The shagbark hickory is known for its distinctive shaggy bark. It’s less known for the delicious flavor of its nuts, which is among the best known.
Plant two for cross pollination if you are interested in a nut crop.
