Mockernut Hickory
Encyclopedia
Carya tomentosa, is a tree in the Juglandaceae
or Walnut family. It is the most abundant of the hickories. It is long lived, sometimes reaching the age of 500 years. A high percentage of the wood is used for products where strength, hardness, and flexibility are needed. It makes an excellent fuelwood, too.
A straight-growing hickory, common in the eastern half of the U.S. Species name comes from the Latin word tomentum, meaning "covered with dense short hairs," referring to the underside of the leaves and helping identify the species. Also called the White Hickory due to the light color of the wood. The common name "Mockernut" comes from the large thick-shelled fruit with very small kernels of meat inside.
. Mockernut hickory is most abundant southward through Virginia, North Carolina and Florida where it is the most common of the hickories. It is also abundant in the lower Mississippi Valley and grows largest in the lower Ohio River Basin and in Missouri and Arkansas.
Annual temperatures range from 10° to 21°C (50° to 70°F). Temperatures range from 21° to 27' C (70° to 80°F) in July and from -7° to 16°C (20° to 60°F) in January. Temperature extremes are well above 38°C (100°F) and below -18°C (0°F). The growing season is approximately 160 days in the northern part of the range and up to 320 days in the southern part of the range.
(Pinus echinata) and loblolly pine
(P taeda). However, most of the merchantable mockernut grows on moderately fertile upland soils.
Mockernut hickory grows primarily on Ultisols occurring on an estimated 65 percent of its range, including much of the southern to northeastern United States. These soils are low in nutrients and usually moist, but during the warm season, they are dry part of the time. Along the mid-Atlantic and in the southern and western range, mockernut hickory grows on a variety of soils on slopes of 25 percent or less, including combinations of fine to coarse loam
s, clays, and well-drained quartz sands. On slopes steeper than 25 percent, mockernut often grows on coarse loams.
Mockernut grows on Inceptisols in an estimated 15 percent of its range. These clayey soils are moderate to high in nutrients and are primarily in the Appalachians on gentle to moderate slopes where water is available to plants during the growing season. In the northern Appalachians on slopes of 25 percent or less, mockernut hickory grows on poorly drained loams with a fragipan
. In the central and southern Appalachians on slopes 25 percent or less, mockernut hickory grows on fine loams. On steeper slopes it grows on coarse loams.
In the northwestern part of the range, mockernut grows on Mollisols. These soils have a deep, fertile surface horizon greater than 25 centimetres (9.8 in) thick. Mollisols characteristically form under grass in climates with moderate to high seasonal precipitation.
Mockernut grows on a variety of soils including wet, fine loams, sandy textured soils that often have been burned, plowed, and pastured. Alfisols are also present in these areas and contain a medium to high supply of nutrients. Water is available to plants more than half the year or more than 3 consecutive months during the growing season. On slopes 25 percent or less, mockernut grows on wet to moist, fine loam soils with a high carbonate content.
and the beech-maple forest
. The species does not exist in sufficient amounts to be included as a title species in the Society of American Foresters
forest cover types. Nevertheless, it is identified as an associated species in eight cover types. Three of the upland oak types and the bottom land type are subclimax to climax
. The types are:
Central Forest Region (upland oaks)-Post Oak-Blackjack Oak (Type 40), White Oak-Black Oak-Northern Red Oak (Type 52), White Oak (Type 53), Black Oak (Type 110).
Southern Forest Region (southern yellow pines) Shortleaf Pine (Type 75), Loblolly Pine-Shortleaf Pine (Type 80); (oak-pine type) Loblolly Pine-Hardwood (Type 82); (bottom-land type) Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak (Type 91).
In the central forest upland oak types, mockernut is commonly associated with:
Common understory vegetation includes:
Mockernut is also associated with:
In the southern forest, mockernut grows with:
In the Loblolly Pine-Hardwood Type in the southern forest, mockernut commonly grows in the upland and drier sites with:
In the southern bottom lands, mockernut occurs in the Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak Type along with:
Understory trees include:
s about 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) long and may be produced on branches from axils of leaves of the previous season or from the inner scales of the terminal buds at the base of the current growth. The female flowers appear in short spikes on peduncle
s terminating in shoots of the current year. Flowers bloom in the spring from April to May, depending on latitude and weather. Usually the male flowers emerge before the female flowers. Hickories produce very large amounts of pollen that is dispersed by the wind.
Fruits are solitary or paired and globose, ripening in September and October, and are about 2.5 to 9.0 cm (1.0 to 3.5 in) long with a short necklike base. The fruit has a thick, four-ribbed husk 3 to 4 mm (0.11 to 0.16 in) thick that usually splits from the middle to the base. The nut is distinctly four-angled with a reddish-brown, very hard shell 5 to 6 mm (0.20 to 0.23 in) thick containing a small edible kernel
.
Good seed crops occur every 2 to 3 years with light seed crops in intervening years. Approximately 50 to 75 percent of fresh seed will germinate. Fourteen mockernut hickory trees in southeastern Ohio produced an average annual crop of 6,285 nuts for 6 years; about 39 percent were sound, 48 percent aborted, and 13 percent had insect damage. Hickory shuckworm (Laspeyresia caryana) is probably a major factor in reducing germination.
Mockernut hickory produces one of the heaviest seeds of the hickory species; cleaned seeds range from 70 to 250 seeds/kg (32 to 113/lb). Seed is disseminated mainly by gravity and wildlife, particularly squirrels. Birds also help disperse seed. Wildlife such as squirrels and chipmunks often bury the seed at some distance from the seed-bearing tree.
in a moist medium at 1° to 4°C (33° to 40°F) for 30 to 150 days. When stored for a year or more, seed may require stratification for only 30 to 60 days. Hickory nuts seldom remain viable in the ground for more than I year. Hickory species normally require a moderately moist seedbed for satisfactory seed germination, and mockernut hickory seems to reproduce best in moist duff
. Germination is hypogeal
.
Mockernut seedlings are not fast growing. The height growth of mockernut seedlings observed in the Ohio Valley in the open or under light shade on red clay soil was as follows:
).
However, mockernut root stock grew slowly and reduced the growth of pecan tops. Also, this graft seldom produced a tree that bore well or yielded large nuts.
The relation of height to age is as follows:
The current annual growth of mockernut hickory on dry sites is estimated at about 1.0 m³/ha (15 ft³/acre). In fully stocked stands on moderately fertile soil2.1 m³ /ha (30 ft³ /acre) is estimated, though annual growth rates of 3.1 m³/ha (44 ft³/acre) were reported in Ohio (26). Greenwood and bark weights for commercial-size mockernut trees from mixed hardwoods in Georgia are available for total tree and saw-log stems to a 4-inch top for trees 5 to 22 inches d.b.h..
Available growth data and other research information is summarized for hickory species, not for individual species. Trimble compared growth rates of various Appalachian hardwoods including a hickory species category Dominant-codominant hickory trees 38 to 51 cm (15 to 20 in) in d.b.h. on good oak sites grew slowly compared to northern red oak, yellow-poplar, black cherry
(Prunus serotina), and sugar maple
(Acer saccharum). Hickories were in the white oak, sweet birch
(Betula lenta), and American beech
(Fagus grandifolia) growth-rate category. Dominant-codominant hickory trees grew about 3 mm (0.12 in) d.b.h. per year compared to 5 mm (0.20 in) for the moderate-growth species (black cherry) and 6 mm (0.23 in) for the faster growing species (yellow-poplar and red oak). Equations are available for predicting merchantable gross volumes from hickory stump diameters in Ohio. Also, procedures are described for predicting diameters and heights and for developing volume tables to any merchantable top diameter for hickory species in southern Illinois and West Virginia. Generally, epicormic branching
is not a problem with hickory species, but a few branches do occur.
with few laterals. The species is windfirm. Early root growth is primarily into the taproot, which typically reaches a depth of 30 to 91 cm (12 to 36 in) during the first year. Small laterals originate along the taproot, but many die back during the fall. During the second year, the taproot may reach a depth of 122 centimetres (48 in), and the laterals grow rapidly. After 5 years, the root system attains its maximum depth, and the horizontal spread of the roots is about double that of the crown. By age 10, the height is 4 times the depth of the taproot.
to intolerant. Overall it is classified as intolerant of shade. It recovers rapidly from suppression and is probably a climax species on moist sites.
Silvicultural
practices for managing the oak-hickory type have been summarized. Establishing the seedling origin of hickory trees is difficult because of seed predators. Although infrequent bumper seed crops usually provide some seedlings, seedling survival is poor under a dense canopy. Because of prolific sprouting ability, hickory reproduction can survive browsing, breakage, drought, and fire. Top dieback and resprouting may occur several times, each successive shoot reaching a larger size and developing a stronger root system than its predecessors. By this process, hickory reproduction gradually accumulates and grows under moderately dense canopies, especially on sites dry enough to restrict reproduction of more tolerant but more fire or drought-sensitive species.
Wherever adequate hickory advance reproduction occurs, clearcutting
results in new sapling stands containing some hickories. It is difficult to attain reproduction if advance hickory regeneration is inadequate, however; then clearcutting will eliminate hickories except for stump sprouts. In theory, light thinnings or shelterwood cuts can be used to create advance hickory regeneration, but this has not been demonstrated.
-induced streaks also degrade the lumber. In general, the hard, strong, and durable wood of hickories makes them relatively resistant to decay fungi. Most fungi cause little, if any, decay in small, young trees.
Common foliage diseases include leaf mildew and witches' broom (Microstroma juglandis
), leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella dendroides
), and pecan scab (Cladosporium effusum). Mockernut hickory is host to anthracnose (Gnomonia caryae).
Nuts of all hickory species are susceptible to attack by the hickory nut weevil (Curculio caryae
). Another weevil (Conotrachelus aratus) attacks young shoots and leaf petiole
s. The Curculio species are the most damaging and can destroy 65 percent of the hickory nut crop. Hickory shuckworms also damage nuts.
The bark beetle (Scolytus quadrispinosus) attacks mockernut hickory, especially in drought years and where hickory species are growing rapidly. The hickory spiral borer (Argilus arcuatus torquatus) and the pecan carpenterworm (Cossula magnifica
) are also serious insect enemies of mockernut. The hickory bark beetle probably destroys more sawtimber-size mockernut trees than any other insect. The hickory spiral borer kills many seedlings and young trees, and the pecan carpenterworm degrades both trees and logs. The twig girdler (Oncideres cingulata
) attacks both small and large trees; it seriously deforms trees by sawing branches. Sometimes these girdlers cut hickory seedlings near ground level.
Two casebearers (Acrobasis caryivorella and A. juglandis) feed on buds and leaves; later they bore into succulent hickory shoots. Larvae of A. caryivorella may destroy entire nut sets. The living-hickory borer (Goes pulcher) feeds on hickory boles and branches throughout the East. Borers commonly found on dying or dead hickory trees or cut logs include:
Severe damage to hickory lumber and manufactured hickory products is caused by powderpost beetles (Lyctus
spp. and Polycanon stoutii). Gall insects (Caryomyia spp.) commonly infest leaves. The fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila
) and the hickory leafroller (Argyrotaenia juglandana) are the most common leaf feeders. The giant bark aphid (Longistigma caryae) is common on hickory bark. This aphid usually feeds on twigs and can cause branch mortality. The European fruit lecanium (Parthnolecanium corni) is common on hickories.
Mockernut is not easily injured by ice glaze or snow, but young seedlings are very susceptible to frost damage. Many birds and animals feed on the nuts of mockernut hickory. This feeding combined with insect and disease problems eliminates the annual nut production, except during bumper seed crop years.
Mockernut Hickory nuts are consumed by many species of birds and other animals, including Wood Duck, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red Fox, squirrels, Beaver, Eastern Cottontail, Eastern Chipmunk, Turkey, White-tailed Deer, White-footed Mice, and others.
Many insect pests eat hickory leaves and bark. Mockernut Hickories also provide cavities for animals to live in, such as woodpeckers, Black Rat Snakes, Raccoons, Carolina Chickadees, and more. They are also good nesting trees, providing cover for birds with their thick foliage. Animals help disperse seeds so that new hickories can grow elsewhere. Chipmunks, squirrels, and birds do this best. Some fungi grow on Mockernut Hickory roots, sharing nutrients from the soil.
True hickories provide a very large portion of the high-grade hickory used by industry. Mockernut is used for lumber, pulpwood
, charcoal
, and other fuelwood products. Hickory species are preferred species for fuelwood consumption. Mockernut has the second highest heating value among the species of hickories. It can be used for veneer
, but the low supply of logs of veneer quality is a limiting factor.
Mockernut hickory is used for tool handles requiring high shock resistance. It is used for ladder rungs, athletic goods, agricultural implements, dowels, gymnasium apparatus, poles, shafts, well pumps, and furniture. Lower grade lumber is used for pallets, blocking, and so on. Hickory sawdust, chips, and some solid wood are often used by packing companies to smoke meats, and mockernut is the preferred wood for smoking hams. Though mockernut kernels are edible, because of their size they are rarely eaten by humans.
Mockernut hickory is used for smoking meats such as ham.
Hickories are noted for their variability, and many natural hybrids are known among North American species. Hickories usually can be intercrossed successfully within the genus. Geneticists recognize that mockernut hickory hybridizes naturally with: C. illinoensis (Carya x schneckii Sarg.) and C. ovata (Carya x collina Laughlin).
Juglandaceae
The Juglandaceae, also known as the Walnut Family, is a family of trees, or sometimes shrubs, in the order Fagales. Various members of this family are native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Southeast Asia....
or Walnut family. It is the most abundant of the hickories. It is long lived, sometimes reaching the age of 500 years. A high percentage of the wood is used for products where strength, hardness, and flexibility are needed. It makes an excellent fuelwood, too.
A straight-growing hickory, common in the eastern half of the U.S. Species name comes from the Latin word tomentum, meaning "covered with dense short hairs," referring to the underside of the leaves and helping identify the species. Also called the White Hickory due to the light color of the wood. The common name "Mockernut" comes from the large thick-shelled fruit with very small kernels of meat inside.
Native range
Mockernut hickory, a true hickory, grows from Massachusetts and New York west to southern Ontario, southern Michigan, and northern Illinois; then to southeastern Iowa, Missouri, and eastern Kansas, south to eastern Texas and east to northern Florida. This species is not present in New Hampshire and Vermont as previously mapped by Little. Mockernut hickory is most abundant southward through Virginia, North Carolina and Florida where it is the most common of the hickories. It is also abundant in the lower Mississippi Valley and grows largest in the lower Ohio River Basin and in Missouri and Arkansas.
Climate
The climate where mockernut hickory grows is usually humid. Within its range the mean annual precipitation measures from 890 millimetres (35 in) in the north to 2030 millimetres (79.9 in) in the south. During the growing season (April through September), annual precipitation varies from 510 to 890 mm (20 to 35 in). About 200 centimetres (78.7 in) of annual snowfall is common in the northern part of the range, but it seldom snows in the southern portion.Annual temperatures range from 10° to 21°C (50° to 70°F). Temperatures range from 21° to 27' C (70° to 80°F) in July and from -7° to 16°C (20° to 60°F) in January. Temperature extremes are well above 38°C (100°F) and below -18°C (0°F). The growing season is approximately 160 days in the northern part of the range and up to 320 days in the southern part of the range.
Soils and topography
In the north, mockernut hickory is found on drier soils of ridges and hillsides and less frequently on moist woodlands and alluvial bottoms. The species grows and develops best on deep, fertile soils. In the Cumberland Mountains and hills of southern Indiana, it grows on dry sites such as south and west slopes or dry ridges Mockernut grows in Alabama and Mississippi on sandy soils with shortleaf pineShortleaf Pine
Pinus echinata is a species of pine native to the eastern United States from southern New York south to northern Florida, west to the extreme southeast of Kansas, and southwest to eastern Texas. The tree is variable in form, sometimes straight, sometimes crooked, with an irregular crown...
(Pinus echinata) and loblolly pine
Loblolly Pine
Pinus taeda is one of several pines native to the Southeastern United States, from central Texas east to Florida, and north to Delaware. It is particularly dominant in the eastern half of North Carolina, where there are huge expanses consisting solely of Loblolly Pine trees...
(P taeda). However, most of the merchantable mockernut grows on moderately fertile upland soils.
Mockernut hickory grows primarily on Ultisols occurring on an estimated 65 percent of its range, including much of the southern to northeastern United States. These soils are low in nutrients and usually moist, but during the warm season, they are dry part of the time. Along the mid-Atlantic and in the southern and western range, mockernut hickory grows on a variety of soils on slopes of 25 percent or less, including combinations of fine to coarse loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
s, clays, and well-drained quartz sands. On slopes steeper than 25 percent, mockernut often grows on coarse loams.
Mockernut grows on Inceptisols in an estimated 15 percent of its range. These clayey soils are moderate to high in nutrients and are primarily in the Appalachians on gentle to moderate slopes where water is available to plants during the growing season. In the northern Appalachians on slopes of 25 percent or less, mockernut hickory grows on poorly drained loams with a fragipan
Fragipan
A fragipan is a diagnostic horizon in USDA soil taxonomy. They are altered subsurface soil layers that restrict water flow and root penetration. Fragipans are similar to a duripan in how they affect land-use limitations...
. In the central and southern Appalachians on slopes 25 percent or less, mockernut hickory grows on fine loams. On steeper slopes it grows on coarse loams.
In the northwestern part of the range, mockernut grows on Mollisols. These soils have a deep, fertile surface horizon greater than 25 centimetres (9.8 in) thick. Mollisols characteristically form under grass in climates with moderate to high seasonal precipitation.
Mockernut grows on a variety of soils including wet, fine loams, sandy textured soils that often have been burned, plowed, and pastured. Alfisols are also present in these areas and contain a medium to high supply of nutrients. Water is available to plants more than half the year or more than 3 consecutive months during the growing season. On slopes 25 percent or less, mockernut grows on wet to moist, fine loam soils with a high carbonate content.
Associated forest cover
Mockernut hickory is associated with the eastern Oak-hickory forestOak-hickory forest
The oak-hickory forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem with a range extending from southern New England and New York, west to Iowa, and south to Northern Georgia. Smaller, isolated Oak-Hickory communities can also be found as far west as North Dakota, south to Florida and...
and the beech-maple forest
Beech-maple forest
A beech-maple forest is a climax mesic closed canopy hardwood forest. It is primarily composed of American Beech and Sugar Maple trees which co-dominate the forest and which are the pinnacle of plant succession in their range...
. The species does not exist in sufficient amounts to be included as a title species in the Society of American Foresters
Society of American Foresters
The Society of American Foresters is a scientific and educational 501 non-profit organization, representing the forestry profession in the United States of America...
forest cover types. Nevertheless, it is identified as an associated species in eight cover types. Three of the upland oak types and the bottom land type are subclimax to climax
Climax vegetation
Climax vegetation is the vegetation which establishes itself on a given site for given climatic conditions in the absence of anthropic action after a long time ....
. The types are:
Central Forest Region (upland oaks)-Post Oak-Blackjack Oak (Type 40), White Oak-Black Oak-Northern Red Oak (Type 52), White Oak (Type 53), Black Oak (Type 110).
Southern Forest Region (southern yellow pines) Shortleaf Pine (Type 75), Loblolly Pine-Shortleaf Pine (Type 80); (oak-pine type) Loblolly Pine-Hardwood (Type 82); (bottom-land type) Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak (Type 91).
In the central forest upland oak types, mockernut is commonly associated with:
- pignut hickoryPignut HickoryCarya glabra, the Pignut hickory, is a common but not abundant species in the oak-hickory forest association in the Eastern United States and Canada. Other common names are pignut, sweet pignut, coast pignut hickory, smoothbark hickory, swamp hickory, and broom hickory...
(Carya glabra) - shagbark hickoryShagbark HickoryCarya ovata, the Shagbark Hickory, is a common hickory in the eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large deciduous tree, growing up to 27 m tall, and will live up to 200 years. Mature Shagbarks are easy to recognize because, as their name implies, they have shaggy bark...
(C. ovata) - bitternut hickoryBitternut HickoryCarya cordiformis, the Bitternut Hickory, also called bitternut or swamp hickory, is a large pecan hickory with commercial stands located mostly north of the other pecan hickories. Bitternut hickory is cut and sold in mixture with the true hickories. It is the shortest lived of the hickories,...
(C. cordiformis) - black oak (Quercus velutina)
- scarlet oakScarlet OakQuercus coccinea, the scarlet oak, is an oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae. The scarlet oak can be mistaken for the pin oak, the black oak, or occasionally the red oak. On scarlet oak the sinuses between lobes are "C"-shaped in comparison to pin oak , which has "U"-shaped sinuses...
(Q. coccinea) - chestnut oakChestnut oakQuercus prinus , the chestnut oak, is a species of oak in the white oak group, Quercus sect. Quercus. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is one of the most important ridgetop trees from southern Maine southwest to central Mississippi, with an outlying northwestern population in...
(Q. muehlenbergii) - post oakPost oakQuercus stellata is an oak in the white oak group. It is a small tree, typically 10–15 m tall and 30–60 cm trunk diameter, though occasional specimens reach 30 m tall and 140 cm diameter. It is native to the eastern United States, from Connecticut in the northeast, west to southern Iowa, southwest...
(Q. stellata) - bur oakBur oakQuercus macrocarpa, the Bur Oak, sometimes spelled Burr Oak, is a species of oak in the white oak section Quercus sect. Quercus, native to North America in the eastern and midwestern United States and south-central Canada...
(Q. macrocarpa) - blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)
- yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
- mapleMapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
s (Acer spp.) - white ashWhite AshFor another species referred to as white ash, see Eucalyptus fraxinoides.Fraxinus americana is a species of Fraxinus native to eastern North America found in mesophytic hardwood forests from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern...
(Fraxinus americana) - eastern white pineEastern White PinePinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
(Pinus strobus) - eastern hemlockEastern HemlockTsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
(Tsuga canadensis)
Common understory vegetation includes:
- flowering dogwoodFlowering DogwoodCornus florida is a species of dogwood native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southern Ontario, Illinois, and eastern Kansas, and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas, with a disjunct population in Nuevo León and Veracruz in eastern Mexico.-Classification:The flowering...
(Cornus Florida) - sumacSumacSumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America....
(Rhus spp.) - sassafras (Sassafras albidumSassafras albidumSassafras albidum is a species of Sassafras native to eastern North America, from southern Maine and southern Ontario west to Iowa, and south to central Florida and eastern Texas. It occurs throughout the eastern deciduous forest habitat type, at altitudes of sea level up to 1,500 m...
) - sourwoodSourwoodSourwood or sorrel tree is the sole species in the genus Oxydendrum, in the family Ericaceae. It is native to eastern North America, from southern Pennsylvania south to northwest Florida and west to southern Illinois; it is most common in the lower chain of the Appalachian Mountains...
(Oxydendrum arboreum) - downy serviceberryDowny ServiceberryAmelanchier arborea , is native to eastern North America from the Gulf Coast north to Thunder Bay in Ontario and Lake St. John in Quebec, and west to Texas and Minnesota....
(Amelanchier spp.) - redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginianaOstrya virginianaOstrya virginiana , is a species of Ostrya native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Manitoba and eastern Wyoming, southeast to northern Florida and southwest to eastern Texas and northeastern Mexico...
) - American hornbeamAmerican HornbeamCarpinus caroliniana is a small hardwood tree in the genus Carpinus. American hornbeam is also occasionally known as blue-beech, ironwood, or musclewood. It is native to eastern North America, from Minnesota and southern Ontario east to Maine, and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida...
(Carpinus caroliniana)
Mockernut is also associated with:
- wild grapes (VitisVitisVitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
spp.) - rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximumRhododendron maximumRhododendron maximum — also called great rhododendron, great laurel, rosebay rhododendron, American rhododendron or big rhododendron — is a species of Rhododendron native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia south to northern Alabama.-Description:R. maximum is an evergreen shrub growing to 4...
) - mountain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
- greenbrierGreenbrierGreenbrier is the common name of the plant genus Smilax. It may also refer to:Places, United States*Greenbrier, Arkansas*Greenbrier, Orange County, Indiana*Greenbrier, Warrick County, Indiana*Greenbrier, Tennessee, in Robertson County...
s (Smilax spp.) - blueberriesBlueberryBlueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...
(Vaccinium spp.) - witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginianaHamamelis virginianaHamamelis virginiana is a species of Witch-hazel native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, and south to central Florida to eastern Texas....
) - spicebush (Lindera benzoinLindera benzoinLindera benzoin is a flowering plant in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America, ranging from Maine to Ontario in the north, and to Kansas, Texas and northern Florida in the south.-Characteristics:Spicebush is a medium-sized deciduous shrub growing to 5 m...
) - New Jersey tea (CeanothusCeanothusCeanothus L. is a genus of about 50–60 species of shrubs or small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. The genus is confined to North America, the center of its distribution in California, with some species in the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others extending as far south...
americanus) - wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescensHydrangea arborescensHydrangea arborescens, commonly known as Smooth Hydrangea, Wild Hydrangea, or Sevenbark, is a small to medium sized, deciduous shrub up to 3 m tall that is native to the eastern United States.-Range/Habitat:...
) - tick-trefoil (Desmodium spp.)
- bluestem (AndropogonAndropogonAndropogon is a genus of grasses. Andropogon gerardii, big bluestem, is the official state grass of Illinois.Broomsedge is found along the eastern United States...
spp.) - poverty oatgrass (DanthoniaDanthoniaDanthonia is a genus of grass species. Grasses of this genus are sometimes referred to as oatgrass, but that common name is not restricted to this genus.Species include:*Danthonia alpina Vest*Danthonia cachemyriana Jaub. & Spach...
spicata) - sedgeCarexCarex is a genus of plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges. Other members of the Cyperaceae family are also called sedges, however those of genus Carex may be called "true" sedges, and it is the most species-rich genus in the family. The study of Carex is known as...
s (Carex spp.) - pussytoes (AntennariaAntennariaAntennaria is a genus of about 45 species of herbaceous perennial plants in the family Asteraceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with one species in temperate southern South America; the highest species diversity is in North America...
spp.) - goldenrodGoldenrodSolidago, commonly called goldenrods, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America. There are also a few species native to Mexico, South...
(Solidago spp.) - asters (Aster or other genera, depending on the classification).
In the southern forest, mockernut grows with:
- shortleaf pine
- loblolly pine
- pignut hickory
- gums
- oaks
- sourwood
- winged elmWinged ElmUlmus alata, the Winged Elm or Wahoo, is a small- to medium-sized deciduous tree endemic to the southern and south-central United States.-Description:...
(Ulmus alata) - flowering dogwood
- redbud
- sourwood
- persimmonPersimmonA persimmon is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros in the ebony wood family . The word Diospyros means "the fire of Zeus" in ancient Greek. As a tree, it is a perennial plant...
(Diospyros uirginiana) - eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginianaJuniperus virginianaJuniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...
) - sumacs
- hawthornCrataegusCrataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
s (Crataegus spp.) - blueberries
- honeysuckleHoneysuckleHoneysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle, 100 of which occur in China; Europe, India and North America have only about 20 native species each...
(Lonicera spp.) - mountain-laurel
- viburnums
- greenbriers
- grapes
In the Loblolly Pine-Hardwood Type in the southern forest, mockernut commonly grows in the upland and drier sites with:
- white oakWhite oakQuercus alba, the white oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak of the Fagaceae family, native to eastern North America and found from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been...
(Quercus alba) - post oak
- northern red oakNorthern Red OakQuercus rubra, commonly called northern red oak or champion oak, , is an oak in the red oak group . It is a native of North America, in the northeastern United States and southeast Canada...
(Q. rubra) - southern red oakSouthern Red OakQuercus falcata, commonly known as the Southern Red Oak or Spanish Oak, is a tree in the red oak section of the genus Quercus native to the southeastern United States.-Range:...
(Q. falcata) - scarlet oak
- shagbark and pignut hickories
- blackgum
- flowering dogwood
- hawthorn
- sourwood
- greenbrier
- grape
- honeysuckle
- blueberry
In the southern bottom lands, mockernut occurs in the Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak Type along with:
- green ashGreen AshFraxinus pennsylvanica is a species of ash native to eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia west to southeastern Alberta and eastern Colorado, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern Texas....
(Fraxinus pennsylvanica) - white ashWhite AshFor another species referred to as white ash, see Eucalyptus fraxinoides.Fraxinus americana is a species of Fraxinus native to eastern North America found in mesophytic hardwood forests from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern...
- shagbark
- Shellbark hickory (Carya laciniosa)
- bitternut hickories
- white oak
- Delta post oak (Quercus stellata var. paludosa)
- Shumard oakShumard OakQuercus shumardii, the Shumard Oak, Spotted Oak, Schneck Oak, Shumard Red Oak, or Swamp Red Oak, is one of the largest of the oak species in the red oak group...
(Q. shumardii) - blackgum.
Understory trees include:
- American pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
- flowering dogwood
- painted buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica)
- American hornbeam
- devils-walking stick (Aralia spinosaAralia spinosaAralia spinosa, commonly known as Devil's Walkingstick, is a woody species of plants in the genus Aralia, family Araliaceae, native to eastern North America. The various names refer to the viciously sharp, spiny stems, petioles, and even leaf midribs...
) - redbud
- American hollyAmerican HollyIlex opaca, the American Holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas.-Description:...
(Ilex opaca) - Dwarf palmettoDwarf PalmettoSabal minor, commonly known as the Dwarf Palmetto or Bush palmetto, is one of about 14 species of palmetto palm . It is native to the southeastern United States, ranging from Florida north to eastern North Carolina, and west to eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas...
(Sabal minor) - Coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana)
Flowering and fruiting
Mockernut hickory is monoecious - male and female flowers are produced on the same tree. Mockernut male flowers are catkinCatkin
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster, with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated but sometimes insect pollinated . They contain many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem which is often drooping...
s about 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) long and may be produced on branches from axils of leaves of the previous season or from the inner scales of the terminal buds at the base of the current growth. The female flowers appear in short spikes on peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
s terminating in shoots of the current year. Flowers bloom in the spring from April to May, depending on latitude and weather. Usually the male flowers emerge before the female flowers. Hickories produce very large amounts of pollen that is dispersed by the wind.
Fruits are solitary or paired and globose, ripening in September and October, and are about 2.5 to 9.0 cm (1.0 to 3.5 in) long with a short necklike base. The fruit has a thick, four-ribbed husk 3 to 4 mm (0.11 to 0.16 in) thick that usually splits from the middle to the base. The nut is distinctly four-angled with a reddish-brown, very hard shell 5 to 6 mm (0.20 to 0.23 in) thick containing a small edible kernel
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
.
Seed production and dissemination
The seed is dispersed from September through December. Mockernut hickory requires a minimum of 25 years to reach commercial seed-bearing age. Optimum seed production occurs from 40 to 125 years, and the maximum age listed for commercial seed production is 200 years.Good seed crops occur every 2 to 3 years with light seed crops in intervening years. Approximately 50 to 75 percent of fresh seed will germinate. Fourteen mockernut hickory trees in southeastern Ohio produced an average annual crop of 6,285 nuts for 6 years; about 39 percent were sound, 48 percent aborted, and 13 percent had insect damage. Hickory shuckworm (Laspeyresia caryana) is probably a major factor in reducing germination.
Mockernut hickory produces one of the heaviest seeds of the hickory species; cleaned seeds range from 70 to 250 seeds/kg (32 to 113/lb). Seed is disseminated mainly by gravity and wildlife, particularly squirrels. Birds also help disperse seed. Wildlife such as squirrels and chipmunks often bury the seed at some distance from the seed-bearing tree.
Seedling development
Hickory seeds show embryo dormancy that can be overcome by stratificationStratification (botany)
In horticulture, stratification is the process of pretreating seeds to simulate natural winter conditions that a seed must endure before germination. Many seed species undergo an embryonic dormancy phase, and generally will not sprout until this dormancy is broken...
in a moist medium at 1° to 4°C (33° to 40°F) for 30 to 150 days. When stored for a year or more, seed may require stratification for only 30 to 60 days. Hickory nuts seldom remain viable in the ground for more than I year. Hickory species normally require a moderately moist seedbed for satisfactory seed germination, and mockernut hickory seems to reproduce best in moist duff
Duff
In addition to its dictionary meanings, Duff may refer to:-Given name:*Duff, King of Scots ancestor of the Earls of Fife*Duff Cooper, British diplomat*Duff Goldman, star of Food Network's reality show Ace of Cakes...
. Germination is hypogeal
Hypogeal
Hypogeal means "underground".* In botany, a seed is described as hypogeal when the cotyledons of the germinating seed remain non-photosynthetic, inside the seed shell, and below ground...
.
Mockernut seedlings are not fast growing. The height growth of mockernut seedlings observed in the Ohio Valley in the open or under light shade on red clay soil was as follows:
| Age | Height | |
|---|---|---|
| (yr) | (cm) | (in) |
| 1 | 8 | 3.0 |
| 2 | 12 | 4.7 |
| 3 | 20 | 8.0 |
| 4 | 32 | 12.5 |
| 5 | 51 | 20.0 |
| 6 | 71 | 28.0 |
Vegetative reproduction
True hickories sprout prolifically from stumps after cutting and fire. As the stumps increase in size, the number of stumps that produce sprouts decreases; age is probably directly correlated to stump size and sprouting. Coppice management is a possibility with true hickories. True hickories are difficult to reproduce from cuttings. Madden discussed the techniques for selecting, packing, and storing hickory propagation wood. Reed indicated that the most tested hickory species for root stock for pecan hickory grafts were mockernut and water hickory (Carya aquaticaCarya aquatica
Carya aquatica is a large tree, that can grow over 30 meters tall of the Juglandaceae or walnut family. In the American South it is a dominant plant species found on clay flats and backwater areas near streams and rivers. The species reproduces aggressively both by seed and sprouts from roots and...
).
However, mockernut root stock grew slowly and reduced the growth of pecan tops. Also, this graft seldom produced a tree that bore well or yielded large nuts.
Growth and yield
Mockernut hickory is a large, true hickory with a dense crown. This species occasionally grows to about 30 m (100 ft) tall and 91 cm (36 in) in d.b.h., but heights and diameters usually range from about 15 to 24 m (50 to 80 ft) and 46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 in), respectively.The relation of height to age is as follows:
| Height | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | Cumberland Mountains | Mississippi Valley | ||
| (yr) | (m) | (ft) | (m) | (ft) |
| 10 | 1.2 | 4 | 2.7 | 9 |
| 20 | 5.2 | 17 | 5.5 | 18 |
| 30 | 7.9 | 26 | 7.6 | 25 |
| 40 | 10.1 | 33 | 9.1 | 30 |
| 60 | 13.7 | 45 | 12.2 | 40 |
| 80 | 16.8 | 55 | 14.9 | 49 |
| 100 | 20.1 | 66 | 17.4 | 57 |
| 120 | 23.2 | 76 | 19.8 | 65 |
| 160 | 28.7 | 94 | 24.4 | 80 |
| 200 | 33.2 | 109 | 29.0 | 95 |
The current annual growth of mockernut hickory on dry sites is estimated at about 1.0 m³/ha (15 ft³/acre). In fully stocked stands on moderately fertile soil2.1 m³ /ha (30 ft³ /acre) is estimated, though annual growth rates of 3.1 m³/ha (44 ft³/acre) were reported in Ohio (26). Greenwood and bark weights for commercial-size mockernut trees from mixed hardwoods in Georgia are available for total tree and saw-log stems to a 4-inch top for trees 5 to 22 inches d.b.h..
Available growth data and other research information is summarized for hickory species, not for individual species. Trimble compared growth rates of various Appalachian hardwoods including a hickory species category Dominant-codominant hickory trees 38 to 51 cm (15 to 20 in) in d.b.h. on good oak sites grew slowly compared to northern red oak, yellow-poplar, black cherry
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina, commonly called black cherry, wild black cherry, rum cherry, or mountain black cherry, is a woody plant species belonging to the genus Prunus...
(Prunus serotina), and sugar maple
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
(Acer saccharum). Hickories were in the white oak, sweet birch
Sweet Birch
Betula lenta is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia.-Characteristics and habitat:It is a medium-sized deciduous tree reaching 20 m tall with...
(Betula lenta), and American beech
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia, also known as American Beech or North american beech, is a species of beech native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario in southeastern Canada, west to Wisconsin and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida in the United States. Trees in the...
(Fagus grandifolia) growth-rate category. Dominant-codominant hickory trees grew about 3 mm (0.12 in) d.b.h. per year compared to 5 mm (0.20 in) for the moderate-growth species (black cherry) and 6 mm (0.23 in) for the faster growing species (yellow-poplar and red oak). Equations are available for predicting merchantable gross volumes from hickory stump diameters in Ohio. Also, procedures are described for predicting diameters and heights and for developing volume tables to any merchantable top diameter for hickory species in southern Illinois and West Virginia. Generally, epicormic branching
Epicormic shoot
An epicormic shoot is a shoot growing from an epicormic bud which lies underneath the bark of a trunk, stem, or branch of a plant.-Epicormic buds:...
is not a problem with hickory species, but a few branches do occur.
Rooting habit
True hickories such as mockernut develop a long taprootTaproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
with few laterals. The species is windfirm. Early root growth is primarily into the taproot, which typically reaches a depth of 30 to 91 cm (12 to 36 in) during the first year. Small laterals originate along the taproot, but many die back during the fall. During the second year, the taproot may reach a depth of 122 centimetres (48 in), and the laterals grow rapidly. After 5 years, the root system attains its maximum depth, and the horizontal spread of the roots is about double that of the crown. By age 10, the height is 4 times the depth of the taproot.
Reaction to competition
At certain times during its life, mockernut hickory may be variously classified as tolerantPhysiological tolerance
Physiological tolerance or drug tolerance is commonly encountered in pharmacology, when a subject's reaction to a drug is reduced at a later time even though the dose or concentration at the effect site is the same. This means that larger doses are required to achieve the same effect...
to intolerant. Overall it is classified as intolerant of shade. It recovers rapidly from suppression and is probably a climax species on moist sites.
Silvicultural
Silviculture
Silviculture is the practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values. The name comes from the Latin silvi- + culture...
practices for managing the oak-hickory type have been summarized. Establishing the seedling origin of hickory trees is difficult because of seed predators. Although infrequent bumper seed crops usually provide some seedlings, seedling survival is poor under a dense canopy. Because of prolific sprouting ability, hickory reproduction can survive browsing, breakage, drought, and fire. Top dieback and resprouting may occur several times, each successive shoot reaching a larger size and developing a stronger root system than its predecessors. By this process, hickory reproduction gradually accumulates and grows under moderately dense canopies, especially on sites dry enough to restrict reproduction of more tolerant but more fire or drought-sensitive species.
Wherever adequate hickory advance reproduction occurs, clearcutting
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
results in new sapling stands containing some hickories. It is difficult to attain reproduction if advance hickory regeneration is inadequate, however; then clearcutting will eliminate hickories except for stump sprouts. In theory, light thinnings or shelterwood cuts can be used to create advance hickory regeneration, but this has not been demonstrated.
Damaging agents
Mockernut hickory is extremely sensitive to fire because of the low insulating capacity of the hard, flinty bark. Mockernut is not subject to severe loss from disease. The main fungus of hickory is Poria spiculosa, a trunk rot. This fungus kills the bark, which produces a canker, causes heart rot and decay, and can seriously degrade the tree. Mineral streaks and sapsuckerSapsucker
The Sapsuckers form the genus Sphyrapicus within the woodpecker family Picidae. All are found in North America.As their name implies, sapsuckers feed primarily on the sap of trees, moving among different tree and shrub species on a seasonal basis...
-induced streaks also degrade the lumber. In general, the hard, strong, and durable wood of hickories makes them relatively resistant to decay fungi. Most fungi cause little, if any, decay in small, young trees.
Common foliage diseases include leaf mildew and witches' broom (Microstroma juglandis
Microstroma juglandis
Microstroma juglandis is a plant pathogen.- External links :* *...
), leaf blotch (Mycosphaerella dendroides
Mycosphaerella dendroides
Mycosphaerella dendroides is a fungal plant pathogen.-External links:* *...
), and pecan scab (Cladosporium effusum). Mockernut hickory is host to anthracnose (Gnomonia caryae).
Nuts of all hickory species are susceptible to attack by the hickory nut weevil (Curculio caryae
Curculio caryae
The pecan weevil, Curculio caryae is an obligate feeder on the nuts of North American hickories and pecans , most widely recognized as an economically important pest of the pecan, Carya illinoinensis...
). Another weevil (Conotrachelus aratus) attacks young shoots and leaf petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
s. The Curculio species are the most damaging and can destroy 65 percent of the hickory nut crop. Hickory shuckworms also damage nuts.
The bark beetle (Scolytus quadrispinosus) attacks mockernut hickory, especially in drought years and where hickory species are growing rapidly. The hickory spiral borer (Argilus arcuatus torquatus) and the pecan carpenterworm (Cossula magnifica
Cossula magnifica
The Pecan Carpenterworm Moth is a moth of the Cossidae family. It is found in the south-eastern parts of United States, from North Carolina south to Florida, west to Mississippi and Texas.The wingspan is 32-45 mm...
) are also serious insect enemies of mockernut. The hickory bark beetle probably destroys more sawtimber-size mockernut trees than any other insect. The hickory spiral borer kills many seedlings and young trees, and the pecan carpenterworm degrades both trees and logs. The twig girdler (Oncideres cingulata
Oncideres cingulata
Oncideres Cingulata The Oncideres cingulata is a brownish-gray beetle typically 1/2 to 5/8 inch in length in the Family Cerambycidae. It is characterized by long antennae, 1/2 to 1 inch long....
) attacks both small and large trees; it seriously deforms trees by sawing branches. Sometimes these girdlers cut hickory seedlings near ground level.
Two casebearers (Acrobasis caryivorella and A. juglandis) feed on buds and leaves; later they bore into succulent hickory shoots. Larvae of A. caryivorella may destroy entire nut sets. The living-hickory borer (Goes pulcher) feeds on hickory boles and branches throughout the East. Borers commonly found on dying or dead hickory trees or cut logs include:
- the banded hickory borer (Knulliana cincta)
- a long-horned beetle (Saperda discoidea)
- the apple twig borer (Amphicerus bicaudatus)
- the flatheaded ambrosia beetle (Platypus compositus)
- the redheaded ash borer (Neoclytus acuminatusNeoclytus acuminatusNeoclytus acuminatus, the red-headed ash borer, is a common North American species in the longhorn beetle family .-Description and ecology:...
) - the false powderpost beetle (Scobicia bidentata)
Severe damage to hickory lumber and manufactured hickory products is caused by powderpost beetles (Lyctus
Lyctus
Lyctus or Lyttos , was one of the most considerable cities in ancient Crete, which appears in the Homeric catalogue. Lyttos is now a village in the municipality of Minoa Pediada.-Lyctus in mythology:...
spp. and Polycanon stoutii). Gall insects (Caryomyia spp.) commonly infest leaves. The fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila
Archips argyrospila
The Fruit-Tree Leafroller Moth is a moth of the Tortricidae family. It is found in most of the United States and southern Canada....
) and the hickory leafroller (Argyrotaenia juglandana) are the most common leaf feeders. The giant bark aphid (Longistigma caryae) is common on hickory bark. This aphid usually feeds on twigs and can cause branch mortality. The European fruit lecanium (Parthnolecanium corni) is common on hickories.
Mockernut is not easily injured by ice glaze or snow, but young seedlings are very susceptible to frost damage. Many birds and animals feed on the nuts of mockernut hickory. This feeding combined with insect and disease problems eliminates the annual nut production, except during bumper seed crop years.
Special uses
Mockernuts are preferred mast for wildlife, particularly squirrels, which eat green nuts. Black bears, foxes, rabbits, beavers, and white-footed mice feed on the nuts, and sometimes the bark. The white-tailed deer browse on foliage and twigs and also feed on nuts. Hickory nuts are a minor source of food for ducks, quail, and turkey.Mockernut Hickory nuts are consumed by many species of birds and other animals, including Wood Duck, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red Fox, squirrels, Beaver, Eastern Cottontail, Eastern Chipmunk, Turkey, White-tailed Deer, White-footed Mice, and others.
Many insect pests eat hickory leaves and bark. Mockernut Hickories also provide cavities for animals to live in, such as woodpeckers, Black Rat Snakes, Raccoons, Carolina Chickadees, and more. They are also good nesting trees, providing cover for birds with their thick foliage. Animals help disperse seeds so that new hickories can grow elsewhere. Chipmunks, squirrels, and birds do this best. Some fungi grow on Mockernut Hickory roots, sharing nutrients from the soil.
True hickories provide a very large portion of the high-grade hickory used by industry. Mockernut is used for lumber, pulpwood
Pulpwood
Pulpwood refers to timber with the principal use of making wood pulp for paper production.-Applications:* Trees raised specifically for pulp production account for 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% and second- and third- and more generation forests account for the balance...
, charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
, and other fuelwood products. Hickory species are preferred species for fuelwood consumption. Mockernut has the second highest heating value among the species of hickories. It can be used for veneer
Wood veneer
In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm , that are typically glued onto core panels to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry...
, but the low supply of logs of veneer quality is a limiting factor.
Mockernut hickory is used for tool handles requiring high shock resistance. It is used for ladder rungs, athletic goods, agricultural implements, dowels, gymnasium apparatus, poles, shafts, well pumps, and furniture. Lower grade lumber is used for pallets, blocking, and so on. Hickory sawdust, chips, and some solid wood are often used by packing companies to smoke meats, and mockernut is the preferred wood for smoking hams. Though mockernut kernels are edible, because of their size they are rarely eaten by humans.
Mockernut hickory is used for smoking meats such as ham.
Genetics
The Mockernut is a 64 chromosome species and therefore very rarely if ever crosses with 32 chromosome species such as Pecan or Shellbark hickory. There is no published information concerning population or other genetic studies of this species.Hickories are noted for their variability, and many natural hybrids are known among North American species. Hickories usually can be intercrossed successfully within the genus. Geneticists recognize that mockernut hickory hybridizes naturally with: C. illinoensis (Carya x schneckii Sarg.) and C. ovata (Carya x collina Laughlin).