SafePlants

Red Hickory (Carya ovalis)

The red hickory, scientifically known as Carya ovalis, is also commonly referred to as sweet pignut hickory or sometimes false shagbark hickory.

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions the presence of nuts, which could be a choking hazard or cause digestive upset if ingested by pets.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Carya ovalis
• Common Names: Red Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory, Spicebark Hickory, False Shagbark Hickory
• Synonyms: Carya glabra (Mill.) Sweet var. odorata (Marsh.) Little, Carya glabra (Mill.)
• Note: Some botanists consider it closely related to, or even the same as, Carya glabra (Pignut Hickory).

Distribution and Habitat

• Red hickory is native to eastern North America.
• It is considered fairly uncommon but widespread.
• Primarily found in upland woods growing east of the Great Plains.
• Specific locations mentioned include southern Mississippi into northeastern Oklahoma.
• It grows on slopes and forest ridges.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• The tree can reach 50-80 feet in height and up to 3 feet in diameter.
• It typically has an oblong or rounded form.
• The leaflets are green and red, slender, and tapered, growing in groups of 5 or more.
• The petioles and rachises of the compound leaves are hairless and greenish white to red.
• Red hickory is monoecious, forming separate male (staminate) flowers.
• The bark is slightly shaggy.
• It has good golden-yellow fall color.
• The bud is smaller than those of most other hickory species.

Quirky Facts

• Red hickory was once considered a hybrid species, a cross of pignut and shagbark hickories.