Tree Species of the Carya Genus

Picture of a Hickory Tree
The Pecan (Carya illinoinensis or illinoenses) is a species of hickory (Carya).

Carya trees, commonly known as Hickory trees are deciduous trees, rarely shrubs, 3m to 52m in height. There are 23 taxa of trees in the genus Carya and 9 hybrids. The name Carya is from the Ancient Greek word κάρυον for "nut".

Hickory Wood;

The wood of hickory species is extremely tough and flexible, and is used for golf club shafts, walking sticks, drumsticks, tool handles, bows, wheel spokes, carts, ski bottoms, lacrosse stick handles, sometimes still called a hickory stick, even though made of steel or graphite. Hickory is sometimes used for wood flooring because of its characteristics and strength.

Hickory wood is also preferably used for wood burning stoves, because of its high energy (heat) content. Hickory wood is also used for smoke curing meats, like hickory smoked bacon, or beef. In the United States, hickory is used in barbecue cooking because the smoke from the burning wood adds the popular "Hickory" flavor to the meat.

Hickory or Pecan Nuts;

The nuts of some Hickory species are edible, while others are bitter in taste, and used only for animal feed. The Shagbark, Pecan and Shellbark Hickory trees produce nuts that are widely eaten.

When propagating hickory trees for their fruit, or nuts, two (2) or more cultivars must be planted together for successful pollination. This is due to their self-incompatibility, and so cloned or grafted trees of the same cultivar cannot pollinate each other.  Seedlings grown from hickory nuts will usually have sufficient genetic variation to cross pollinate each other.

Facts about the Carya Genus of Trees

• Genus Scientific Name = Carya
• Genus Common Names = Hickory
• Number of Taxa in the Carya Genus = 23

List of Hickory Trees, Carya Genus - All known species, taxa on Earth, organized by scientific Latin botanical name first and common names second.

Hickory Hybrids

Carya ×brownii
Carya ×collina
Carya ×demareei
Carya ×dunbarii
Carya ×laneyi
Carya ×lecontei
Carya ×ludoviciana
Carya ×nussbaumeri
Carya ×schneckii