# Hickory Tree



## Dark_ale (Oct 10, 2007)

I dont work with wood, other than my Bar-BQ pit. I'm not sure if this topic belongs here, but those of you that work with wood, I am looking for a Hickory Tree. I know I have some where I hunt(Thicket area Hardin county) but I am not sure what they look like. I have done net searches but there are tons of differant kinds of Hickory trees. I assume the hickory everyone uses in there pit is a certain one. I have seen the pignut trees that look almost exactly like a pecan which is a type of Hickory but not the one I am looking for. Does anyone know if the nuts get ripe in october like pecans? Or does anyone have a leaf description or even a picture of the Hickory that everyone uses in there Bar-BQ pits. I have heard it grows pretty tall without many branches and the leaves are wide?


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

Could be this one you are asking about.. Many varieties of hickory in Texas and I sure ain't no expert...

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"*About the Shagbark Hickory :* The Shagbark Hickory tree, Carya ovata, has a distinctive, shaggy bark, conspicuous on tall straight trees, which gives this species its name. It grows well in both wet and dry areas, but prefers well-drained soils. Shellbark hickory trees are also called shagbark hickory, bigleaf shagbark hickory, kingnut, big shellbark, bottom shellbark, thick shellbark, and western shellbark, which attest to some of its characteristics. It is a slow-growing long-lived tree. The nuts, largest of all hickory nuts, are sweet and edible. Wildlife and people harvest most of them; those remaining produce seedling trees readily.

The wood is hard, heavy, strong, and very flexible, making it a favored wood for tool handles. *The wood also makes excellent firewood, and often is used in smoking meat. *As with other edible nuts, squirrels compete with humans for this fruit. Its bold-textured, jagged branch structure and thick twigs give it a striking appearance in winter. This deciduous shade tree has a yellow fall color.


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## Dark_ale (Oct 10, 2007)

I am not sure, I have not found any trees with bark like this one. I believe though, I am not sure that the one in our area is a mockernut hickory? Have you ever seen this type of hickory in your picture in the southeast texas area?


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## Tortuga (May 21, 2004)

It looks familiar...but not around these parts.. I'm thinking more in the northwest area of the US....but, like I said....I ain't no expert source of knowledge on this one...

Good lookin' tree, though....LOL


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## Flat Fish (Jun 18, 2005)

Check this out... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickory


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## Dark_ale (Oct 10, 2007)

I had a friend at work that had a few trees down from the hurricane we had a couple of years ago. So I went over to help him cut and split them up for a share of the wood. I noticed he had a small tree in the back yard with nuts on it, and it was a hickory, the bark looks nothing like that shagbark hickory. Come to find out the wood we were splitting that we thought was oak turned out to be hickory. I did'nt know it was hickory utill I fired up the pit and smelled the wood burning. Thanks for the help


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