Bitternut hickory

Carya cordiformis · Juglandaceae (Walnut family)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Bitternut hickory

Leaf Morphology

Leaf Type

Pinnately compound, deciduous

Shape

Lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate with 7 to 9 leaflets

Margin

Serrate

Arrangement

Alternate

Venation

Pinnate with prominent lateral veins

Key Features

Pinnately compound leaf with typically seven finely serrate, lanceolate leaflets radiating from a slender rachis

Description

Large deciduous tree with a straight trunk, furrowed gray bark, and hard round nuts enclosed in a four-winged husk; foliage turns bright yellow in autumn

Habitat

Rich moist soils of bottomlands and upland forests

Native Range

Eastern North America

Identified on 10/16/2026