Carya ovata |
Native Region: Eastern North America
Zone Range: 4-9
Preferred Climate: Full to semi sun; well draining humus rich deep soil.
Harvest Date: Friday 18 November, 2011
Seed count: 8-10
Description:
Beautiful straight trunked shade tree well known for its sweet edible nuts and yellow fall colour. Highly ornamental distinct gray to black shaggy bark that will be eventually shed in long strips. Fast growing trees (60 cm annually) that are inherently adaptable to many soil types but nut production is best on deep evenly moist soils. Reaches 25 meters in height with half the spread when mature. Long lived trees to 300 years...though not as long lived as Ginkgo!
Notes:
Exfoliated bark is useful to create that hickory smoke flavour in meat and fish. Also a hickory syrup is made from the bark as well but the recipes are guarded like gold. Nut production in 10 years can yield up to 75 pounds annually per tree. You need two trees for nut production as this species doesn't recognize its own pollen.
Cultivation:
Stored in moist peat at 4C for prompt spring germination. Sow nuts 3 cm deep in a sowing layer consisting of equal parts peat, compost, and coarse sand. Use deep pots as this species puts down a very large tap root. Apply a thin top layer of fine mulch. Needs 90-120 days of cold stratification to germinate at 20 C in the spring/early summer.
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