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Carya tomentosa (Mockernut Hickory)

Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory) at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington in April.
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory) displays drooping yellow-green male catkins up to 6” long in April.
Fruit (nuts) with husks that split into four valves develop on Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory) in July. Note the tomentose undersides of the leaflets.
The circa 20-inch-long, alternate, pinnately compound leaves of Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory) have ovate-lanceolate shaped leaflets with toothed margins.
Fall foliage of Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory) in November.
The smooth gray bark of young Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory) trees ages to rounded, interlacing ridges and shallow furrows.

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Carya tomentosa Tried and True Native Plant Selections Mockernut Hickory for the Mid-Atlantic Noted for beautiful golden fall color, this long-lived keystone plant* hosts numerous moth species and feeds and shelters many types of animals. The species epithet “tomentosa” refers to the hair-covered undersurfaces of its leaflets, a characteristic that makes the tree easily identifiable. Tree Spring Tree, Catkins, Fruit, Leaves, Aged Bark Height: 60–80 feet Spread: 40–60 feet Bloom Color: Greenish-yellow (male); red (female) Characteristics Slow-growing, deciduous tree with straight trunk and rounded crown; monoecious Alternate, pinnately compound, ≤ 20” long leaves with 5–9 toothed, ovate-lanceolate, green leaflets, paler tomentose below; attractive yellow fall foliage Drooping yellow-green catkins up to 6” long (male); short red spikes (female) April to May Nuts with husks that split into 4 valves in October Smooth gray bark ages to rounded, interlacing ridges & shallow furrows; young stems pubescent Attributes Tolerates drought once established and Black Walnut; susceptible to pests (hickory bark beetle, pecan weevil, borers, twig girdler) but no serious diseases; deer browse leaves and twigs Nuts** edible; wood for lumber, firewood, charcoal Nuts attract many animals; habitat for cavity-nesting birds; larval host for ~240 Lepidopteran species Growing and Maintenance Tips Excellent Replacement for Soil Requirements: Sand, clay loam, well-drained Acer platanoides - Norway Maple Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Ginkgo biloba - Ginkgo Water Requirements: Moist Platanus acerifolia - London Plane Tree Transplant when small due to deep taproot Site where fallen nuts/leaf litter won’t be a problem *In the Mid-Atlantic Region, it is native in DC; in MD, mostly in Anne Arundel and Howard counties; and in PA except in northern and a few other scattered counties. In VA, it is common throughout. **Nuts (hard to crack) produced on trees 25–200 years old. Use in large yard or naturalized areas for shade Hardiness: USDA Zones 4a–9b developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills, Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, VA

Tried and True Native Plant Selections 
for the Mid-Atlantic

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Carya tomentosa (Mockernut Hickory)

Noted for beautiful golden fall color, this long-lived keystone plant* hosts numerous moth species and feeds and shelters many types of animals. The species epithet “tomentosa” refers to the hair-covered undersurfaces of its leaflets, a characteristic that makes the tree easily identifiable. 

*In the Mid-Atlantic Region, it is native in DC; in MD, mostly in Anne Arundel and Howard counties; and in PA except in northern and a few other scattered counties. In VA, it is common throughout. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets