Herb: Black Hickory


Latin name: Carya texana


Synonyms: Carya arkansas, Carya villosa


Family: Juglandaceae (Walnut Family)



Edible parts of Black Hickory:

Seed - raw or cooked. A sweet flavour, but the seed is small with a very thick shell. Another report says that the kernel has a bitter flavour. The seed is up to 4cm long. The seed ripens in late autumn and, when stored in its shell in a cool place, will keep for at least 6 months.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
15 m
(49 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Dry sandy woods or rocky slopes. Bottomlands and low wet woods. Lowland and upland woods, usually on sandy soils but also sometimes on limestone.

Other uses of Black Hickory:

Wood - close grained, tough, strong, brittle. It weighs 50lb per cubic foot. Used mainly for fuel, it burns well giving off a lot of heat.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - requires a period of cold stratification. It is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be kept moist (but not wet) prior to sowing and should be sown in a cold frame as soon as possible. Where possible, sow 1 or 2 seeds only in each deep pot and thin to the best seedling. If you need to transplant the seedlings, then do this as soon as they are large enough to handle, once more using deep pots to accommodate the tap root. Put the plants into their permanent positions as soon as possible, preferably in their first summer, and give them some protection from the cold for at least the first winter. Seed can also be sown in situ so long as protection is given from mice etc and the seed is given some protection from cold (a plastic bottle with the top and bottom removed and a wire mesh top fitted to keep the mice out is ideal)

Cultivation of Black Hickory:

Dry sandy woods or rocky slopes. Bottomlands and low wet woods. Lowland and upland woods, usually on sandy soils but also sometimes on limestone.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Carya texana:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.