Carya myristiciformis

• 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

• Whole Plant Traits:

  Plant Type:

  Native Plant

  Tree

  Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Habit/Form:

  Erect

  Rounded

  Texture:

  Medium

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Bark:

  Bark Color:

  Dark Brown

  Red/Burgundy

  Surface/Attachment:

  Fissured

  Scaly

  Bark Description:

  Dark brown with fissures turning into long thin scales with age.

• Stem:

  Stem Is Aromatic:

  No

• Landscape:

  Landscape Theme:

  Nighttime Garden

  Pollinator Garden

  Design Feature:

  Shade Tree

  Attracts:

  Moths

  Pollinators

  Small Mammals