Bitternut Hickory

Carya cordiformis

Bitternut Hickory

No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims).

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Juglandaceae
Genus:
Carya
Species:
Carya cordiformis

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Tree
Height:
More than 40 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
apr
Bloom Colors:
Yellow, Green, Brown

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Ontario, Quebec

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Acrobasis kearfottella, Agrippina Underwing (Catocala agrippina), American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Bethune's Pinion (Lithophane bethunei), Clouded Underwing (Catocala nebulosa), Coleophora ostryae, Copper Underwing (Amphipyra pyramidoides), Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype sospeta), Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americana), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), hickory shoot borer (Acrobasis caryae), Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), juvenile underwing (Catocala subnata), Luna moth (Actias luna), pecan leaf casebearer (Acrobasis juglandis), pecan leafminer (Cameraria caryaefoliella), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana integerrima), Yellownecked caterpillar (Datana ministra), hickory hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorum)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers bottomlands and floodplains

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o