Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis · Juglandaceae (Walnut and Hickory family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Pinnately compound, deciduous
Shape
Lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate leaflets, typically 7 to 9 leaflets per leaf
Margin
Finely serrate (toothed)
Arrangement
Alternate
Venation
Pinnate venation with a prominent central midrib and ascending secondary veins.
Key Features
Distinctive sulfur-yellow, granular winter buds that are distinctly valvate rather than imbricate, and leaves with typically 7-9 slender leaflets.
Description
The bark is relatively smooth for a hickory when young, becoming shallowly furrowed with age.
Habitat
Found in rich moist bottomlands, along streams, and occasionally on drier upland soils in mixed deciduous forests.
Native Range
Native to eastern North America, spanning from southern Quebec and Ontario south to Florida, and west to Texas and Minnesota.