Mockernut Hickory

Carya tomentosa [Lam.] Nutt

(Syn. Carya alba [L.] Nutt. ex Elliott)

Description

Mockernut hickory (walnut family, Juglandaceae¹), is also known as white hickory². It stands approximately 50-60 feet tall at maturity, but can reach 100 feet, and the trunk spans 1-2 feet in diameter². The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound³. The leaves grow 6-12 inches long along with 5-9 leaflets that grow about 8 inches long³. The bark is gray color with ridges that form diamond-like patterns³. Mockernut is monoecious, meaning it produces male and female flowers on the same plant. The species’, yellow-green male flowers are in catkins, bloom from April to May, and are wind pollinated⁴. The female flowers are much smaller and reside at the tip of the twigs². The mockernut produces fruit, from September to October. The fruit is a pear-shaped, thick-shelled (5-6 mm) nut containing a sweet kernel³. The hull splits apart at maturity into four thick (4 mm) sections².

mockernut-full

Leaves and fruit of mockernut hickory. @ L. Korhnak, University of Florida³

Distribution

Mockernut hickories occur throughout the eastern United States, in Maine, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, Florida, and Texas³. It is found in deciduous hardwood forests on dry upland slopes on ridges and hillsides². However, the tree is in almost all the states due to human interference and planting³. In Maryland, these tress reside all across the state⁴.

{The native range of Carya tomentosa}

Native distribution of mocker nut hickory¹⁵

Wildlife Importance

The nuts of the mockernut hickory supply sustenance for a plethora of wildlife including, white-tailed deer, foxes, squirrels, rabbits, beavers, white-footed mice, ducks, quails, and turkeys². In addition, white-tailed deer browse on its foliage and twigs².

Economic Importance

Mockernut hickory wood is especially hard, tough, stiff, and strong, which makes it perfect for manufacturing tool handles, dowels, gymnasium equipment, poles, and furniture^1,2. Although it is used for all these things, approximately 80% of mockernut wood is used to manufacture tool handles². The wood is also used for lumber, pulpwood, charcoal, fuelwood, and basketry^1,2.

Threats

Stressed mockernut hickory trees are vulnerable to the hickory bark beetle^2. The beetle burrows into twigs and small branches⁵. These beetles can kill weak trees, and even kill strong trees during a mass infestation⁶. This happens because the beetle tunnels through the trees trunk and cuts off its sapwood, which eventually kills the tree⁷. Evidence has also been found that these beetles can vector a disease-causing fungus, Ceratocystis smalleyi, which could also kill the tree⁸.

Hickory bark beetle. @Natasha Wright, Cooks Pest Control¹²

Interesting Facts

Mockernut hickory was previously called Carya tomentosa; “tomentosa”, the species epithet, is Latin for hairy which is a reference to the trees hairy leaves⁵. The hairs are dense and light orange or brown in color³.
The word “hickory” is derived from the Native American word, “pocohicora”, which is the name of the liquor that they would make by crushing the shell and kernel of hickory nuts together⁹.
Luna, Funeral Dagger, and Giant Regal moths commonly land on this tree¹⁰.

Luna Moth. @Jeff Cage, Florida Museum¹³

The wood of the mockernut hickory is the finest wood of all hickories. It is strong and elastic, which is why its use is so popular¹¹. Besides its constructive purposes, the wood is also sometimes used to smoke meats, like hams⁸.
The national champion mockernut hickory is in Hamilton, Florida and is 106 feet tall and 193 inches in circumference as measured in 2014¹⁴.

References

Contributed by A. Pellegrini and T. Potter

Towson University Glen Arboretum