Hickory
Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis
$3.00per seedling
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Bulk pricing
Price per seedling based on total seedlings in your cart, across all species.
- 10–249 seedlings$3.00 / seedling
- 250–499 seedlings$2.50 / seedling
- 500–999 seedlings$2.00 / seedling
- 1,000–2,499 seedlings$1.75 / seedling
- 2,500–4,999 seedlings$1.50 / seedling
- 5,000+ seedlings$1.25 / seedling
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Quick facts
- Mature size
- — 50–80 ft tall · 30–50 ft wide
- Growth speed
- — Medium — 1–2 ft of new growth a year
- Sunlight
- — Full sun (6+ hrs direct sun) · Part shade (4–6 hrs)
- Soil
- — Average / moist
- Good for
- — Reforestation & timber · Wildlife food & habitat · Yard, shade & beauty
- Wildlife
- — Nuts feed squirrels and rabbits; the foliage hosts luna moth caterpillars.
About this species
Bitternut hickory is a tall, robust native tree noted for its straight trunk, smooth gray bark, and distinctive yellow buds—features that make it easy to identify in the field. Its compound leaves create a full, airy crown that turns a warm golden color in fall, adding seasonal beauty to woodlands and larger landscapes. The tree produces small, bitter nuts enclosed in thin husks, which, despite their sharp taste, are an important food source for wildlife such as squirrels and birds. Bitternut hickory thrives in moist, well-drained soils and is commonly found in forests across Ohio, where its strong wood, ecological value, and adaptability contribute to the health and resilience of native ecosystems.
Planting notes
Deep-rooted; best planted young on well-drained upland sites.