Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Juglandaceae

Genus:

Carya

Species:

Carya tomentosa

USDA Symbol:

CATO6

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Tree

Height:

2400 cm

Light Requirements:

Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

yellow-green

Wildlife Benefits

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

squirrels, deer, turkeys, woodpeckers, black bears

Fall Color:

golden-yellow, orange

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Thick bark provides fire resistance. Trees commonly resprout from root collar after top-kill from fire. Historically maintained by periodic fire in oak-hickory forests.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

good drainage preferred

Moisture:

dry to moderate

Notes:

prefers upland areas with deep soils

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–120 days

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds should be sown fresh in fall or cold-stratified over winter. Germination improves with outdoor stratification where seeds experience natural freeze-thaw cycles.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI