One of my favorite holiday pastimes is walking through the woods and admiring nature’s beauty when the temperatures are pleasant. I also enjoy learning to identify and name every tree I encounter. I’ll be the first to admit that it took me decades to decipher one hickory from another. You have to look at the nuts, the bark, and the number of leaflets to feel confident; but I’ve learned that the buds are the quickest way to identify them. Heck, growing up, I thought there was only a single kind of hickory. It turns out that there are at least eight species native to Texas.
There’s something deeply satisfying about hickory trees, and I’ve been nuts for them for as long as I can remember. They bring to mind golden fall color, BBQ joints, and axe handles. Their towering presence, rugged bark, and reliable nut production make them a quintessential part of the natural world in East Texas and beyond. From pecans to shagbarks and everything in between, hickories have a sturdy elegance that is often overshadowed by flashier trees, but to me, they represent resilience, beauty, and a deep connection to the land.
Hickory Buds
The hickory genus (Carya) is a diverse group of hardwood trees native to North America, valued for their tough wood, tasty nuts, and ecological importance. They are in the same family (Junglandaceae) as walnuts (Juglans) and share some of the same traits, including their contribution to wildlife and their adaptability to various environments. Here’s a look at some of the hickories that inspire admiration and appreciation.
Pecan (Carya illinoinensis): Let’s start with the superstar of the hickory clan, our state tree. Native to river bottoms and floodplains of Texas and the Deep South, pecans have been a cornerstone of Southern agriculture for centuries. Their sweet, buttery nuts are the stuff of pies and pralines, and their graceful, arching limbs provide shade and beauty. Most of the trees in my area seem to be seedlings from a few large, old trees that were planted including one still alive at the old home site where my Grant grandparents used to live and one that no longer exists at Miss Lou Wheeler’s old house.
While pecan trees are cultivated extensively, their wild counterparts thrive in East Texas, feeding wildlife such as squirrels, turkeys, and deer. These are the hickories that are native to my Deep East Texas property.
Black Hickory (Carya texana): Black hickories are tough, medium-sized trees that thrive on sandy uplands and well-drained hillsides. Their dark, furrowed bark and narrow crown give them a rugged charm, while their nuts, though tough-shelled, are a reliable food source for wildlife.
Found in East Texas and extending into the Hill Country, black hickories play a vital role in stabilizing ecosystems and supporting wildlife in challenging environments. I grew up with these and post oaks in our yard in Longview and only have a few on the highest, driest parts of my farm.
Black Hickory
Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata): If there’s a tree that embodies rustic charm, it’s the shagbark hickory. Its peeling, shaggy bark looks like something out of a storybook and makes it instantly recognizable. Shagbarks are tough and adaptable, thriving in a range of soils and climates. My late Pappaw, who lived here, called them “scalybarks” and told me if you wanted a squirrel for dumplings, just sit under one and wait for him.
Their sweet nuts are encased in thick, hard shells, making them a bit of a challenge to harvest, but many consider them the finest-tasting nuts in the hickory clan. Early settlers prized the wood for its strength, using it for tool handles, wagon wheels, and even smoking meats.
Shagbark Hickory
Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis): The bitternut hickory stands out for its striking yellow buds and smooth bark, but its nuts live up to its name; they’re bitter and unfit for human consumption. That doesn’t stop wildlife from making use of them, especially during tough winters.
Bitternut hickories thrive in wetter soils than most hickories, making them a valuable component of lowland forests. While their nuts aren’t a culinary treasure, their ecological role is significant. My huge one died a few years ago but I have hundreds of various sized seedlings and saplings throughout my woods.
Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa): Mockernut hickories are aptly named; while their nuts are large and inviting, the kernels inside are small and frustrating to extract. However, these trees make up for it with their towering height and robust presence in upland forests across the Southeast.
Their wood is incredibly strong and durable, making it a favorite for tool handles and furniture. Mockernuts may be tricky to harvest, but they’re still a favorite among wildlife.
Nutmeg Hickory (Carya myristiciformis): The rare nutmeg hickory is the holy grail for hickory enthusiasts. Found only in isolated pockets of the southern United States, this tree produces small nuts with a smooth shell resembling the spice nutmeg.
Its preference for rich, moist soils and its scarcity make it a curiosity for botanists and nature lovers. If you ever encounter one, consider it a special treat, a reminder of the diversity and beauty of hickories. Some consider their odd and scant occurrence a relict from an ancient, larger distribution. I have two large ones and a half dozen small to medium sized ones, but unfortunately very few seedlings and saplings.
Nutmeg Hickory
Unlike pecan trees, native hickories are rarely available in the nursery trade, making their preservation in the wild all the more important. Hickories are ecological powerhouses, feeding countless species of wildlife with their nuts and providing habitat with their sturdy branches and leaves. Their wood has been used for generations for everything from cooking fires to furniture, and their beauty enhances natural landscapes year-round.
Nutmeg Hickory Nuts
If you’re fortunate enough to have hickories on your property or encounter them in the wild, cherish them. Protecting these trees ensures that they’ll continue to support ecosystems and bring joy to future generations. And certainly, if you ever have a chance to propagate or plant one, please do so.
Hickories may not be the flashiest trees in the forest, but they’re among the most steadfast and generous. Consider yourself lucky to know them, and like I did, consider it an honor to learn their names.
