Carya myristiciformis
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KAIR-yuh MUH-riss-tick-aa-for-miss
- Description
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Scaly, reddish-brown bark
This plant prefers moist rich soils.
Flower: 1.5 in. nut; native whitish bark
Site: Sun; range of soil types; drought tolerant
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Carya
- Species:
- myristiciformis
- Family:
- Juglandaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Oklahoma to Alabama and NE. Mexico
- Distribution:
- Found in NC, SC, GA, AL, MS, LA, AR, OK, and TX
- Wildlife Value:
- Squirrels and rodents eat nuts. Larval host plant to Luna moth. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Drought
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Rounded
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8b, 8a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Elliptical 1-1.2 inch long nut with a thin husk splitting along four ridges
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 7-14 in. alternate, pinnately compound leaves with 5-9 leaflets; silvery underneath; yellow fall color
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Fissured
- Scaly
- Bark Description:
- Dark brown with fissures turning into long thin scales with age.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals