Mockernut
Hickory
Carya
tomentosa
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Alice B.
Russell
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Mockernut
Hickory is one of several common hickory
trees in our area. They are a medium-sized
trees, growing up to 80 feeet tall. Trunks
can be up to two feet wide.
Mockernut
Hickories grow in forests with many other
trees, especially oaks and
pines.
Mockernut
Hickory trees grow very slowly.
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Noble Foundation Plant
Image Gallery
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Tihomir Kostadinov,
University of Richmond
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The bark
of Mockernuts is gray with furrows
(deep wrinkles).
Mockernut Hickory leaves
are pinnately
compound, which means there are many little leaflets
(either seven or nine) surrounding a single stem. The whole
leaf grows up to 20 inches long, with each leaflet growing
up to eight inches long.
Leaves are shiny
yellowish-green on top, and pale green below. The undersides
of the leaves are very hairy. In the fall, leaves turn
bright yellow.
Mockernut Hickory flowers
are tiny and clustered
together to make a hanging catkin.
Three catkins hang from one stalk.
Fruits are 1 1/2 inches
to two inches long and round or pear-shaped. They are green
at first, turning brown as they get older. When the
fruit,
or nut, matures the sides split apart so that there are four
pieces of thick husk surrounding the seed.
If a Mockernut Hickory
tree falls, or is cut down, new sprouts can grow from the
stump.
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Tihomir Kostadinov,
University of Richmond
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Tihomir Kostadinov,
University of Richmond
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Mockernut Hickories grow
with many other trees and plants, including: oaks, pines,
Yellow Poplar, American Sycamore, Sassafras, Sweetgum,
Flowering Dogwood, maples, sumac, Redbud, American Hornbeam,
Eastern Redcedar, American Holly, American Elm, wild grapes,
honeysuckle, Mountain Laurel, blueberries, greenbriers,
Spicebush, Witch Hazel, goldenrods, asters, and
sedges.
They also grow with other
hickories, such as the Shagbark Hickory and Pignut
Hickory.
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NOBLE
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Tihomir Kostadinov,
University of Richmond
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Mockernut Hickory nuts
are consumed by many species of birds and other animals,
including Wood Duck, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red Fox,
squirrels, Beaver, Eastern Cottontail, Eastern Chipmunk,
Turkey, White-tailed Deer, White-footed Mice, and
others.
Many insect
pests
eat hickory leaves and bark.
Mockernut Hickories also
provide cavities
for animals to live in, such as woodpeckers, Black Rat
Snakes, Raccoons, Carolina Chickadees, and more.
They are also good
nesting trees, providing cover
for birds with their thick foliage.
Animals help
disperse
seeds so that new hickories can grow elsewhere. Chipmunks,
squirrels, and birds do this best.
Some fungi
grow on Mockernut Hickory roots, sharing nutrients
from the soil.
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