Water hickory, Swamp hickory, Bitter pecan
Carya aquatica

Family: Juglandaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows 21 m high. It spreads to 12 m wide. The trunk is tall and straight. The bark is light brown and peels off. The leaves are sword shaped and 12 cm long. They have about 13 individual leaflets. There are fine teeth along the edge. The flowers are small and greenish. The male flowers are in slender drooping catkins and the female flowers are in groups or 2-10 at the tips of the same twigs. The fruit is egg shaped. It is 2.5-4 cm long and flattened with 4 wings.

There are about 14-25 Carya species.

Where it is found

A temperate plant. It grows in low, wet flatlands. It is often on clay soils and can be partly in water. It needs an open, sunny position. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, North America (country/location of origin), USA

How it is used for food

The nut is bitter and fairly inedible.

Edible parts

Seeds, nuts

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Hicoria aquatica Brit.; Juglans aquatica;