Plant Family: Juglandaceae
Growth Form: Medium-sized to large tree, 20 – 25 meters in height.
Leaves / Buds: Alternate, compound, with 5 – 9 lightly toothed narrow leaflets, green above, paler beneath; the buds are yellow.
Bark: Gray, smooth on young trees, tightly fissured on older trees, never loose or scaly.
Flowers: Monoecious, male flowers in catkins in groups of three, female flowers in short clusters of two or three.
Fruits: Thin, smooth, four-part husks split partway when ripe to reveal the ovoid four-ridged nut.
Habitat: River valleys, swamp borders, rich woodland soils.
Range: Rare in Maine, fairly common in the lowlands of other New England states, ranging south to the Gulf coast.
Key Feature: This is our only hickory with yellow buds.
Comments: The nut is bitter and is avoided by most animals. The wood, like other hickories, is favored for smoking meat and makes excellent firewood.
