It's not unusual for everything and everyone around here to be a little nuts. But come this time of year, it's even nuttier than usual!
We have several huge black walnut trees in our backyard, and they are loaded down with nuts. Down in the bottom pasture there's a big old hickory tree, and it too has an abundance of nuts this year.
Hickory Nuts
There's another big nut tree by the driveway. I thought at first it was a hickory tree, but the nuts on it don't look quite the same.
Whatever this tree is, it's loaded down with nuts! So.... what is it people????
Now The Farmer and I checked out hickory nut trees yesterday in a book we have called, "Guide to Southern Trees" by the Harrars. We were surprised to discover there are no less than 15 types of hickory trees, and that pecan trees are actually considered to be a type of hickory.
Also interesting to note is the fact only 3 of the 23 known species of hickories and pecans occur outside the United States, with 1 being in Mexico, and the other 2 native to the Orient. A truly American group of trees!
So we've figured out that both these trees are indeed some kind of hickory, but the question remains, exactly which ones???
Even though in 10th grade we had a project in biology class to identify trees during the winter by their bark and twigs, I'm afraid I'm not very good at it. So how about you? To aid in your identification of this tree, I took a picture of the trunk/bark.
I will be eagerly awaiting to hear from some smart person who can tell me what kind of hickory tree this is!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s possible that you have a hybrid there. The best tree ID site I’ve ever found (and use regularly) is http://www.oplin.org/tree/index.html
thanks for the info Amy! I’ll check that out.
If it weren’t for the leaves, I’d think it was a fig tree. The nuts look just like brown figs.
Sorry I can’t help you.
We have a fig tree, and I hadn’t thought about that, but you’re right. They do look a lot like figs in the picture, but if you could touch them, it’s a hard shell, not soft like figs. They’re some type of hickory nut. I’ve got that much figured out. But I don’t know which kind they are! Thanks for looking ceecee!