Bitternut Hickory (Swamp Hickory, Yellow-bud Hickory)
Kingdom: Plantae, Division: Tracheophyta, Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Juglandaceae, Genus: Carya, Species: C. cordiformis · Juglandaceae (Walnut family) · Compound (pinnately compound with typically 7-9 leaflets), deciduous
Species
Carya cordiformis
Leaf Type
Compound (pinnately compound with typically 7-9 leaflets), deciduous
Family
Juglandaceae (Walnut family)
Shape
Lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate with an acuminate tip
Size
Individual leaflets approximately 4-6 inches long and 1-2 inches wide, typical for the species whose mature leaves range from 3 to 7 inches.
Margin
Serrate (finely toothed)
Arrangement
Alternate
Rarity
Common
Color & Pattern
Green upper surface with brownish-red autumn color transition starting along the midrib; lower surface is paler green and finely pubescent.
Venation Pattern
Pinnate with a prominent, raised pale green midrib and prominent lateral veins branching symmetrically.
Texture & Surface
Finely hairy or pubescent on the veins and lower surface, slightly leathery texture.
Description
Bitternut hickory is a large, handsome deciduous tree recognized by its slender, bright yellow winter buds and bitter nuts. The pinnately compound leaves consist of multiple lanceolate leaflets that turn a bright golden yellow in autumn. The bark is relatively smooth for a hickory when young, eventually developing shallow furrows with age.
Key Features
Distinctive bright sulfur-yellow, granular winter buds; compound leaves with 7 to 9 narrow leaflets; and thin-husked nuts containing extremely bitter seeds.
Habitat
Moist bottomlands, rich woods, along streams, and occasionally in drier upland limestone soils.
Geographic Range
Native to eastern North America, spanning from southern Quebec and Ontario west to Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and Texas.
Condition Notes
Fair condition; showing typical seasonal color transition to a brownish-red hue along the central veins with mild surface dust and minor herbivory.
Interesting Facts
The wood is heavy, hard, and strong, making it exceptional for tool handles and smoking meats, though it is the most bitter-tasting hickory nut, heavily avoided by humans but consumed by some wildlife.
Medicinal & Uses
Used primarily for timber, high-BTU firewood, and smoking meats. Native Americans used infusions of the bark for various remedies, though culinary use is nil due to extreme bitterness.
Ecological Role
Provides food for various mammals and birds that consume the nuts, and serves as a larval host for several moth species. Wood and mature trees provide critical nesting and roosting habitat.
Similar Species
Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) and Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata). Bitternut is distinguished easily by its bright yellow, valvate terminal buds and typically having 7-9 narrower leaflets.
Foraging Tips
Look for trees near water sources or rich bottomlands in autumn when the bright yellow foliage stands out. Check the twigs for the unmistakable sulfur-yellow buds.
Toxicity Warning
Non-toxic. The nuts are intensely bitter and unpalatable, but not poisonous to humans or animals.