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Bitternut Hickory

Carya cordiformis

Distinctive bright yellow winter buds. Tolerates wetter sites than most hickories. The nut is edible but so bitter and astringent that even squirrels tend to pass it over — a marginal food at best among the hickories.

Family

Juglandaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

50–80 ft

Spacing

30–50 ft apart

Light

sun, part shade, shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

April

Bloom colors

yellow, green, brown

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~235 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen

Native states

AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV