Bitternut Hickory

Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch

Walnut family

Plant Type

Tree

Life Cycle

Perennial

Mature Height

75.0 feet

Spread

7.9 feet

Flower Color

Green

Bloom Time

Mid Spring

Growing Conditions

Light

Shade Tolerance Intolerant

Water

Water Use Medium

Drought Tolerance High

Flood Tolerance Low

Soil

Soil Types Clay, Loam, Sand

CaCO3 Tolerance High

Fertility Need Medium

Stress Tolerance

Fire Tolerance Medium

Salt Tolerance None

Climate

pH Range 4.8 – 7.4

Frost-Free Days 120 days

Precipitation 25 – 70 in

Ecosystem & Wildlife

Pollinators Larval Host (Butterfly); Larval Host (Moth); Wind

Larval Host Acrobasis angusella, Acrobasis caryae, Acrobasis caryivorella, Acrobasis juglandis, Acrobasis kearfottella, Actias luna luna, Amorpha juglandis, Amphipyra pyramidoides, Antheraea polyphemus polyphemus, Argyrotaenia juglandana, Cameraria caryaefoliella, Catocala agrippina, Catocala nebulosa, Catocala subnata, Coleophora ostryae, Euclea delphinii, Lithophane bethunei, Lophocampa caryae, Lymantria dispar, Satyrium caryaevorum, Xanthotype sospeta

Fall Color Yes

Evergreen No

Native Range

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

Regional Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

State-level native status is based on data available through Plants of the World Online. Regional Native Status comes from the USDA Plants Database. For more detailed native status information, please refer to BONAP.