Black Hickory
Carya texana
Black hickory is a drought-hardy upland hickory of dry, sandy, and rocky soils across the south-central states. A tough wildlife tree where richer-soil hickories cannot persist. The nut has a sweet flavor by most accounts, though a thick shell and small size make it more trouble than reward — reports vary, some calling the kernel bitter.
- Family
- Juglandaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 40–75 ft
- Spacing
- 25–40 ft apart
- Light
- part shade
- Soil moisture
- dry
- Soil pH
- acidic
- Bloom
- March
- Bloom colors
- red
- Wildlife value
- butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~235 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- specimen
- Native states
- AL, AR, GA, IL, KS, LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, TX, WV
Related native plants
More Carya species
- Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)
- Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)
- Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)
- Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra)
- Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa)
- Water Hickory (Carya aquatica)