Synonyms: Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch var. latifolia Sarg. ; Hicoria cordiformis (Wangenh.) Britt.

Description: Tree, 15 - 26 m tall, trunk 0.3 - 0.9 m in diameter. Bark gray to brown, smooth, slowly developing shallow furrows. Twigs changing from green to brown to gray, sparsely hairy when young. Terminal bud 1 - 2 cm long, sulfur-yellow, looks naked but has scales that do not overlap (valvate). Lateral buds are smaller and 4-angled. Leaves alternate, odd-pinnately compound, 15 - 40 cm long, with 7 - 9 leaflets. Leaflets 7 - 15 cm long, 2 - 6.5 cm wide, lance-shaped, margins sharply toothed, bright green above, paler with hairy veins below, turning golden in fall. Foliage is aromatic when crushed. Male and female flowers on same plant (monoecious), male flowers in clusters of 3 hanging catkins, 8 - 16 cm long, female flowers in spikes of 2 - 5, about 1.3 cm long. Fruit is a nut surrounded by a husk, 2 - 3 cm long, 2 - 3.2 cm wide; husk thin, nearly spherical, covered with short yellow hairs, splitting to the center; nut tiny, light brown, smooth, edible but bitter.

Similar Species: Carya cordiformis can be distinguished from other hickories by its sulfur-yellow buds that appear naked, 9 narrow leaflets, fruit with a husk that splits to the middle, and bark that remains tight.
Carya glabra, Carya laciniosa, Carya ovata, Carya tomentosa

Flowering: Mid-May to early June.

Habitat and Ecology: Common in mesic woods, along edges of streams, and on lower upland slopes.

Notes: Carya cordiformis wood is considered the best wood for making hickory smoked meats. The nuts are so bitter that most animals will not eat them.

Etymology: Carya comes from the Greek name for walnut. Cordiformis comes from the Latin words meaning heart-shaped.

Regional Status: Native.