Scientific Name
Carya texana
Black hickory, also known as Texas hickory, is a somewhat smaller member of the Carya genus. Here, we expect it to reach about 30 to 35 feet in height. As its name suggests, its native range is centered in Texas, with extensions into Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. It also occurs as far north as central Illinois, and our specimens come from those northern sources, so we expect them to be fully winter hardy.
This species is well adapted to dry, rocky soils, a useful trait in Colorado. Like other hickories, it has compound leaves, usually with seven leaflets. The undersides of the leaves, along with the twigs and buds, are covered with rusty-colored hairs and scales early in the season, though these tend to wear off as the summer progresses. The twigs themselves are more slender than those of shagbark hickory.
The nuts, including the outer husk, are a bit over an inch in diameter, smaller than those of shagbark or shellbark, with a sweet kernel inside. In fall, the leaves turn a bright yellow and may persist into winter in a brown state, sometimes with just the midribs remaining into the following spring. As the tree matures, the bark darkens noticeably, fitting its common name.
While most hickories are long-lived, often reaching 200 years or more, black hickory tends to have a somewhat shorter lifespan, perhaps closer to 150 years.