Vietnam hickory
Carya tonkinensis
Family: Juglandaceae
What it is like
A medium sized deciduous tree. It grow 20-25 m tall and has a trunk 50-60 cm across. The end buds are naked and brown. The leaves are 15-25 cm long. The leaf stalk is about 6 cm long. It is hairy. There are 5-7 leaflets. The blade is oval or sword shaped and 7-18 cm long by 2-6 cm wide. The base is unequal. It tapers to the tip. The male spike is 12-13 cm long. Its stalk is 1-5 cm long. The nuts are half round and 2.2-2.5 cm long by 2.6-3 cm wide. The husk does not have prominent wings. The shell has 4 faint ridges along it.
There are about 14-25 Carya species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows between 600 and 1,200 m altitude in N Vietnam. It needs good light. It requires fertile, moist, well drained soil. In China it grows between 1300-2200 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, India, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The seeds are edible and can also be pressed for oil. The oil is used for cooking.
It could become a valuable fruit tree.
Edible parts
Nuts, nuts-oil
How it is grown
It is a fast growing tree.
Its other names
Local names
Hanh dao bac, May-chau, Yue nan shan he tao