Carya glabra var. odorata

(Marshall) Little.

Sweet pignut, Red hickory

Juglandaceae Edible: Seeds, Sap, Nuts 19,151 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Carya glabra, the pignut hickory, is a common, but not abundant species of hickory in the oak-hickory forest association in the Eastern United States and Canada. Other common names are pignut, sweet pignut, coast pignut hickory, smoothbark hickory, swamp hickory, and broom hickory. The pear-shaped nut ripens in September and October, has a sweet maple like smell, and is an important part of the diet of many wild animals. The wood is used for a variety of products, including fuel for home heating. It has pinnately compound leaves that turn a golden yellow in the fall.

Description

A tree. It grows 21 m high and spreads 9 m wide. The young shoots are downy. The leaves have 7 leaflets. The end leaflet is the largest and is 12 cm long. The fruit split at the base when ripe. The kernels are small and can be bitter.

Edible Uses

The nuts and seeds are eaten; kernels can be extracted from the fruit though they are small and may be bitter.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.

Where It Grows

Australia, Canada, North America, USA,

Notes

There are about 14-25 Carya species.

Synonyms

Carya ovalis (Wangenh.) Sarg.and others

References (10)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994) (As Hicoria microcarpa)
Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 87
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 335
Glowinski, L., 1999, The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia. Lothian. p 106
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 171 (As Carya microcarpa)

Show all 10 references

Krochmal, A. & Krochmal, C., 1982, Uncultivated Nuts of The United States. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. p 46 (As Carya ovalis)
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Lyle, S., 2006, Discovering fruit and nuts. Land Links. p 112
Trees & shrubs 2:207. 1913
Wickens, G.E., 1995, Edible Nuts. FAO Non-wood forest products. FAO, Rome. p 134