How to identify hickory trees

Hickories (*Carya* spp.) are native to eastern North America and are among the hardest and heaviest woods on the continent. They hybridize freely, making precise identification challenging. But the five most common species can be separated by a combination of compound leaf structure, leaflet count,.

Hickories (Carya spp.) are native to eastern North America and are among the hardest and heaviest woods on the continent. They hybridize freely, making precise identification challenging. But the five most common species can be separated by a combination of compound leaf structure, leaflet count, bark texture, and nut characteristics — features that are reliable once you understand them.

Genus-level identification

All hickories share:

• Alternate, pinnately compound leaves with an odd number of leaflets (typically 5, 7, or 9), with the terminal (end) leaflet usually the largest. Per NC State Extension, the large, distinctly larger terminal leaflet distinguishes hickory from ash, which has a more uniform leaflet size.
• Alternate buds on twigs (not opposite as in ash or maple)
• Solid pith in twigs when cut lengthwise (walnut, a relative, has chambered pith)
• Nuts enclosed in a thick, fibrous husk that splits into 4 valves at maturity

Hickories are in the walnut family (Juglandaceae). Per Missouri Botanical Garden, the combination of alternate compound leaves + solid pith + 4-valved nut husk separates hickory from all other common trees.