Carya comprises robust deciduous trees known for their appealing form. The large, compound leaves display vivid autumn hues. Male flowers appear as catkins, while the female flowers are less noticeable, developing into nuts. Some of these nuts contain edible kernels.

Carya

Carya aquatica is a deciduous tree that grows at a gradual pace, featuring pinnate leaves with multiple leaflets arranged along a single stalk. This species thrives in wet or boggy soils. Mature specimens display grey-brown bark that peels off in strips and develop a broad, well-branched canopy that provides dense shade. It typically takes about 20 years for these trees to bear fruit, producing clusters of yellow-green, ribbed, oval nuts with hard seeds. Optimal fruiting is observed during hot summer months.

Carya aquatica

Carya cathayensis

Carya cordiformis is a broad, deciduous tree that can grow to heights of 25 meters. Its large, dark green leaves, which can measure up to 30 centimeters in length, emerge from yellow winter buds and are typically composed of seven leaflets, though variations of five or nine leaflets are also observed. In spring, the tree produces yellow-green flowers, which are succeeded by nuts that are rounded or pear-shaped, measuring between 2 to 4 centimeters in length. While the nuts are edible, they possess a bitter taste.

Carya cordiformis

Carya floridana

Carya glabra, commonly referred to as pignut hickory, is a substantial deciduous tree known for its slow growth and rounded crown shape. This species can attain heights of approximately 30 meters, though it often remains smaller when cultivated. Young trees feature smooth, gray bark that evolves into a rough, brown texture as they age. The tree's drooping leaves emerge with a brownish-green hue, transitioning to a shiny pale green throughout the summer months, before turning a golden-yellow in the fall. The fruit, which resembles a pear and has a brown shell, develops only on mature trees. While the nuts are technically edible, their pronounced bitterness makes them more appealing to wildlife than to humans.

Carya glabra

Carya glabra var. megacarpa

Carya illinoinensis 'Apache'

Carya illinoinensis 'Campbell Nc-4'

Carya illinoinensis 'Carlson No 3' seedling (F)

Carya illinoinensis 'Chief'

Carya illinoinensis 'Choctaw'

Carya illinoinensis 'Colby'

Carya illinoinensis 'Colby' seedling (F)

Carya illinoinensis 'Cornfield' (F)

Carya illinoinensis 'Cornfield' seedling (F)

Carya illinoinensis 'Desirable'

Carya illinoinensis 'Devore'

Carya illinoinensis 'Forkert'

Carya illinoinensis 'Gibson'

Carya illinoinensis 'Green Island'

Carya illinoinensis 'Hastings'

Carya illinoinensis 'Hirschi'

Carya illinoinensis 'Lucas' (F)

Carya illinoinensis 'Mahan'

Carya illinoinensis 'Mullahy'

Carya illinoinensis 'Pawnee'

Carya illinoinensis 'Shawnee'

Carya illinoinensis 'Voiles 2'

Carya illinoinensis (F)

Carya laciniosa 'Henry' (F)

Carya laciniosa 'Keystone' seedling (F)

Carya laciniosa 'Stephens' (F)

Carya laciniosa (F)

Carya languinossus

Carya myristiciformis

Carya ovalis

Carya ovalis obcordata

Carya ovata 'Fayette'

Carya ovata 'Grainger' seedling (F)

Carya ovata 'J. Yoder No 1'

Carya ovata 'Neilson' seedling (F)

Carya ovata 'Porter'

Carya ovata 'Weschcke' (F)

Carya ovata 'Weschcke' seedling (F)

Carya ovata 'Wilcox'

Carya ovata 'Yoder No 1' seedling (F)

Carya ovata, commonly known as shagbark hickory, is a deciduous tree that can reach heights of up to 20 meters. Its distinctive bark peels away in large strips, revealing a grey to brown surface. The compound leaves typically consist of five leaflets and exhibit a golden yellow hue in the fall. In spring, the tree produces male catkins that can grow as long as 12 centimeters. The nuts, encased in a thick shell and measuring up to 6 centimeters in length, become edible once fully mature.