The Carya Glabra
is commonly known as Broom Hickory
, Coast Pignut Hickory
, False Shagbark
, Pignut Hickory
, Red Hickory
, Smoothbark Hickory
, Swamp Hickory
, as well as Sweet Pignut Hickory< Go Back
Pignut hickory grows from eastern Maine westward to southern Michigan,
Illinois, and southeastern Iowa [17
]. It extends southward to eastern
Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, and eastward to central Florida [17
It is common but not abundant throughout much of eastern North America
]. Pignut hickory reaches greatest abundance in the Ohio River Basin
and is the most common hickory of the Appalachian Mountains [51
varieties glabra and megacarpa occur sympatrically throughout most of
eastern North America south to Louisiana; the variety hirsuta occurs
throughout much of the Southeast [32
The currently accepted scientific name of pignut hickory is Carya glabra
(P.Mill.) Sweet. It is a member of the walnut family Juglandaceae.
Three varieties are commonly recognized [25
Carya glabra var. glabra
Carya glabra var. hirsuta (Ashe) Ashe
Carya glabra var. megacarpa (Sarg.) Sarg.
The variety hirsuta, or alternately a fourth variety identified as Carya
glabra var. odorata (Marsh.) Little, is frequently considered synonymous
C. ovalis, red hickory [6
]. The taxonomic relationship between C.
glabra and C. ovalis is particularly difficult [32
], and many
taxonomists prefer to treat these sympatric taxa as a complex [51
few authorities delineate red hickory as a separate species, C. ovalis
(Wang.) Sarg. [10
]. Principal differences are in the morphology of
husks or fruit; distinctions between the two entities become apparent
only during the fall [51
]. Many intermediates have been reported;
some authorities treat C. ovalis as an interspecific hybrid between C.
glabra and C. ovata [32
C. leiodermis Sarg., swamp hickory, is now placed in synonymy with C.
]. Pignut hickory hybridizes with butternut hickory (C.
]. Demaree hickory, C. X demareei Palmer, is a hybrid
product of pignut hickory and butternut hickory.
Pignut hickory codominates certain upland hardwood forests of eastern
North America. Common codominants include white oak (Quercus alba) and
northern red oak (Q. rubra). Pignut hickory is included as a dominant
or indicator in the following community type classifications (cts):
Area Classification Authority
sw OH forest cts Braun 1936
TN general veg. cts Quarterman and others 1972
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Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
Tirmenstein, D. A. 1991. Carya glabra. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.