Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis
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We currently have 0 in stock.
- Inventory on the way
- Guaranteed locally grown
- Delivery ONLY to Metro Atlanta & Athens within 5-7 business days
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Pickup in 3-5 business days from our Switchyard in Chamblee
(Mon & Fri 3pm-6pm - 3708 N Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA)


Bitternut Hickory is a broadly-columnar native deciduous tree with an irregular oval-round crown and bark that develops ridges as it ages. The medium green compound leaves turn yellow in fall, and the winter buds for the leaves are a showy mustard yellow. Non-showy gendered spring catkins can give way to husked nuts, but only starts producing after 30 years of age. Grows best in full sun and rich, moist to wet well-drained soils. Generally intolerant of shade. Bitternut is late to leaf and early to loose the leaves in fall.
Carya cordiformis is a host plant for several moths and butterflies including the Banded hairstreak butterfly, Luna Moth, and the Hickory Horned Devil.
Type: |
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Origins: |
Eastern N. America; GA Native |
Height: |
50’ - 80’ |
Spread: |
30’ - 50’ |
Spacing: |
40’ |
USDA Hardiness Zone: |
4 - 9 |
Culture: |
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Bloom Color: |
Green |
Season of Interest: |
MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance. Difficult to transplant due to taproot. Large trees can produce considerable litter with twigs, leaves, and nuts. No serious disease or pests. Hickory bark beetle, pecan weevil, borers and twig girdler can be problems in some areas. White heart rot, anthracnose, leaf blotch, powdery mildew, leaf spot, cankers, catkin blight, crown gall and scab are occasional diseases.
LANDSCAPE USES: Specimen planting or mass plantings, Woodland Garden, Naturalized Areas, Native Garden, and Shade Tree.
COMPANION PLANTS: Yellow Birch, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Bottlebrush Buckeye
IMAGES: Plant Image Library from Boston, USA, Carya cordiformis (Bitternut Hickory) (37064132791), CC BY-SA 2.0, (2) Plant Image Library from Boston, USA, Carya cordiformis (Bitternut Hickory) (33645993593), CC BY-SA 2.0, (3) photost by Leonora (Ellie) Enking, (1) Carya cordiformis (Bitter Nut), (2) Autumn colour
*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.