Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fagales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Carya ovalis
FAMILY
Juglandaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may also want to check Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina
Read more about Red Hickory at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carya ovalis
FAMILY
Juglandaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America
Carya glabra
SYNONYMOUS WITH Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge (Wofford, 1989)
Carya glabra var. odorata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 053-02-011:
Carya ovalis FAMILY Juglandaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Hicoria microcarpa
COMMON NAME:
Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Ron Lance jkm110219_651
Note variation in husk thickness & dehiscence, and nut shape, size & sweetness.
)
Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905) mtna_i_226a
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_carya_ovalis_10
January
Husk winged on seams beyond middle, splits nearly to base oft retaining nut, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_carya_ovalis_12
January
Twigs glabrous, slender to moderately stout; (inner) bud scales tight, pale, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
JK Marlow jkm0402b_31
February Rutherford County NC
Chimney Rock Park
)
JK Marlow jkm230221_1158
February Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm230416_2443
April Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow s040515_opq
May Greenville County SC
Arguably distinct from C. glabra, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_carya_ovalis_11
June
Leaves with (5-)7 leaflets, pubescent beneath; petiole reddish, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_carya_ovalis_8
June
)
JK Marlow s050807_fh
August Greenville County SC
Leaves more commonly with 7 leaflets, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
)
)
JK Marlow jkm0509i_20
September Greenville County SC
Fruit 1 to 1.25" long, husk thin and winged on seams beyond middle, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
JK Marlow jkm0510a_37
October Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm0211g_13a
November Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm151103_040
November Greenville County SC
)
Ron Lance jkm110219_638b
Month Unknown
Fruits not pear-shaped, the nuts pointed at both ends & weakly angled, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Carya ovalis
FAMILY
Juglandaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carya ovalis
FAMILY
Juglandaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America
Carya glabra
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge (Wofford, 1989)
Carya glabra var. odorata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 053-02-011:
Carya ovalis
FAMILY
Juglandaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Hicoria microcarpa
275
Tree
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: forests and woodlands, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common (rare in GA Piedmont & SC Coastal Plain)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Odd-pinnately compound: (5)7 leaflets
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Staminate calyx 2-3 lobed
Inferior ovary
Unisexual
Staminate flowers in elongate catkins
FRUIT:
Fall
Nut
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Identifying Trees: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America (Williams, 2007) p220
- Landscaping with Native Trees (Sternberg & Wilson, 1995) p073
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007) p214?
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p069?
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p12
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p090
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".