Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Trees

Carya glabra

pignut hickory

A very large, slow-growing deciduous tree with an oval-shaped crown and deep root system, also known by its common name of 'pignut hickory'. It can reach a maximum height of around 30m, but is smaller if cultured. Smooth, grey bark in young specimens turns to a textured brown as the tree matures and the pendulous foliage emerges brownish-green, changing to glossy pale green in the summer and then finally golden-yellow in the autumn. Fruits are nut-like and pear-shaped with a brown shell, and only appear on very mature specimens. Although edible, they are very bitter and tend to be favoured more by wildlife

Other common names

brown hickory
hognut
see morepignut hickory
small-fruited hickory
pignut

Synonyms

Carya porcina

Save to My plants

Ultimate height

Higher than 12 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

Wider than 8 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Juglandaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright, Pendulous weeping, Spreading branched
Genus: Carya are vigorous deciduous trees of handsome appearance, the large pinnate leaves colouring well in the autumn; male flowers are in catkins, females are insignificant spikes, followed by nuts, the kernels of some being edible
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in a deep, fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. See tree cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed; seedlings rapidly develop a deep tap root and resent disturbance so plant out in permanent position in the first year

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Low Maintenance

Pruning

See pruning group 1

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to crown gall, powdery mildews and leaf spot- see leaf damage on woody plants

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.