Woody > Carya > Carya aquatica > Carya aquatica
Carya aquatica
Water Hickory
Origin: The south east United States ranging from southern Illinois to southern Virginia into eastern Oklahoma and Texas.
Mike's
Opinion
"
In my opinion, this tree is not particularly appealing for many reasons. It is not desirable for any type of home landscaping as its appearance does not have any qualities that make it stand out or pop in the landscape of your backyard for example. The nuts that it produces can be eaten however, they are very bitter and there would be no reason to attempt to enjoy them. The tree also produces a large amount of seed, so keeping it under control would also be a struggle in a landscape setting. The one benefit it does have is its ability to help counter the damage from floods as it prefers moist soil, usually near a water source. The Water Hickory is definitely a tree that is better off growing in natural areas as opposed to trying to grow it in a garden or public setting.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Juglandaceae |
| Genus |
| Carya |
| Species |
| aquatica |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 5 - 9 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 5b - 9a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H6 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 2 - 27 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 35 - 80 |
| Height |
| 15 - 20 m |
| Spread |
| 7 - 10 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A medium to large sized tree. The leaves are dark green and narrow, producing fruit in the form of small bitter nuts in the autumn. |
| Landscape |
| It does not have many uses in a landscape setting due to its preference to grow in naturally wet climates, however it is known to be planted occasionally as a shade tree in the proper climate. Potentially the only benefit of this tree in a natural landscape is that they are known to be effective at counteracting the effects of flooding in low, swamp like areas. |
| Cultivation |
| Although it is possible for this tree to flourish in well drained soils, it is most common to find it growing in wet clay soils, usually in the vicinity of some type of water source such as a river or swamp. It also prefers partial shade for its ideal cultivation conditions. |
| Shape |
| Vertical, upright tree that usually grows 15-20 metres tall. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| ID Characteristic |
| Leaves are alternative, compound pinnate and dark green in colour. The tree produces nuts in the autumn that are 1 ½ inches long and 1-inch wide. They have a thin, four-winged husk covering them with yellowish scales. When opened these nuts are reddish in colour and bitter in taste. The bark is a grey/brown colour and is very brittle, cracking into plate like pieces. |
| Pests |
| The Water Hickory is known to be susceptible to pests, the most common being the “living hickory borer” or also known as “Goes pulcher”. These insects bore their way into the tree and create tunnels that weaken the wood, sometimes causing young trees to fail, and significantly decreasing the value of the wood. Tent caterpillars are also known to eat away at the foliage of these trees. |
| Habitat |
| This tree is native to the south east of the United States. It ranges from southeastern Virginia to southern Florida, as far west as eastern Texas and as far north as southern Illinois. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The bark of this tree is greyish brown in colour and splits into long plates of bark. Stems are slightly hairy when young, become smooth when fully grown and are a dark red-brown colour when fully grown. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The Water Hickory has terminal buds that are a dark reddish-brown colour. These buds are valvate. |
| Leaf Description |
| Leaves are alternative, compound pinnate, with 7 to 15 leaflets per stem, but most commonly there are 9 to 11 per stem. The leaves are narrow and lanceolate in shape, and are serrated along the edges. Each leaflet is 8 to 13 cm long with the terminal leaflet equal to or slightly smaller. The leaves begin with their colour being yellow, then as the tree matures the leaves turn a dark green shade. |
| Flower Description |
| The water hickory has both male and female flowers that bloom from April to May. The male flowers are catkins and the female flowers grow as short spikes or stalks. These flowers are very small and hard to notice. |
| Fruit Description |
| This tree produces fruit in the form of small nuts about 4 cm long and 3 cm wide. They are usually found in clusters and have a thin, four-winged husk, yellow in colour, covering the nut. These nuts are noticeable more flat than other hickory nuts. |
| Colour Description |
| The leaves of the Water Hickory are dark green during the spring and the summer however they change to a yellow shade in the autumn. Its stems are a dark red-brown and its bark is a greyish brown colour. |
| Texture Description |
| The leaves and stems begin tomentose but as they mature they lose the hairy texture and become glabrous. The actual wood of the tree is described as a medium texture, and the grain is usually straight, but in some cases can appear slightly wavy. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The most notable example of a Water Hickory is mentioned in Michael A. Dirr’s book “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants”. It is 44 metres tall and 14 metres wide, by far the largest Water Hickory in the United States. It is located at Congaree Swamp National Monument in South Carolina. |
| Propagation |
| The Water Hickory is propagated from seeds and sprouts that fall from the tree. Seeds are produced when the tree reaches approximately 20 years in age, however the perfect age for its seeds to be propagated is between 40 and 75 years old. The seeds drop in the autumn but stay dormant until germination begins in April, up until early June. Although many of these seeds will drop it generally takes until the following spring for the seeds to be viable. These seeds rely on animals as well as flood water to carry the seeds to new areas in order to spread. As a result of how long these seeds remain dormant, the Water Hickory only thrives where there is limited competition from other plants and trees. Since these seeds are more tolerant of water and floods, these seeds will usually beat out other plants that cannot survive those conditions. This is why they commonly appear in areas that are prone to flooding. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Due to the Water Hickory’s relatively soft and brittle wood it is difficult to work with, therefore there are not many uses for the wood besides using is as fuel to burn. However, its wood is sometimes used as fencing or for tool handles, and things of that nature. Its seeds are edible, although they are very bitter to taste and are not very enjoyable to eat. |
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