How to identify Sand hickory (Carya pallida)

How to identify Sand hickory (Carya pallida)

Sand hickory, also known as pallid hickory

Sand hickory is distinguished by its towering height, reaching up to 100 feet (30 meters) with a straight trunk supporting a dense overhead crown. The bark texture is noteworthy for identification. Producing early spring floral assemblies, sand hickory bears separate male and female flowers; yellowish-green to brown male catkins stretch 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm), while female counterparts are comparably sized. Oval, dark-brown nuts produced by sand hickory are a recognized feature, serving as a food source for local wildlife.

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type: Tree

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Sand hickory

Towering height up to 100 feet (30 meters) with straight trunk and dense crown.

Distinct male and female monoecious flowers; male catkins reach 4 inches (10 cm).

Oval, dark-brown nuts serve as a food source, distinguishing trait.

Alternate, pinnately compound leaves with serrated, silvery-scaled undersides emitting spicy fragrance.

Textured trunk bark transforms with age into deep furrows, scaly ridges in diamond pattern.

Detailed Traits of Sand hickory

Leaf Features

The leaves of sand hickory are alternate, pinnately compound, with 5 to 9 serrated, lance to ovate leaflets. Each leaflet measures approximately 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) long and features a pale underside covered in silvery scales and pubescence. Notably, the leaves emit a spicy fragrance, typical of tetraploid hickories in the genus Carya.

Learn About the Leaf Glossary

Flower Features

Sand hickory produces monoecious flowers with distinct male and female structures. Male flowers form in catkins up to 4 inches (10 cm) long. These catkins are hirsute and scaly with hirsute anthers. Female flowers appear in clusters at the branch tips, emerging in early to mid-spring. They are also hirsute and scaly, with stalks and bracts showing similar characteristics. The blooming period occurs in early to mid-spring, contributing to the reproductive cycle.

Learn About the Flower Glossary

Stem Features

The stem of sand hickory is red-brown to dark brown adorned with light lenticels. It has stout branches that are more slender compared to other hickories. The buds are oval-shaped with silvery scales and fine hairs. Characteristic leaf scars have a three-lobed appearance. Terminal buds are reddish-brown and vary from sparsely to densely scaly, with outer bud scales possessing coarse hairs along their midribs.

Learn About the Stem Glossary

Fruit Features

The fruit of sand hickory is a distinctly pear-shaped to round nut, typically measuring about 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches (1.9 to 3.8 cm) in width. Immature fruit display a yellow hue, transitioning to a dark brown as they mature in early fall. Encased in a relatively thin shell, the contained seed offers a small, sweet kernel, which reaches full ripeness by late autumn. Notably, when preserved in-shell within a cool environment, the seed maintains its quality for upwards of six months.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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