Pignut Hickory

Description:

Trophic Level: Producer Description: It is a medium sized deciduous tree that can grow up to 100 feet. It has light gray bark that is initially smooth but forms scaly ridges as it ages. The leaves are 8 to 12 inches long with mostly 5 leaflets.

Habitat:

Habitat: It could be seen growing in almost all of the Eastern United States. It is a deciduous tree.

Notes:

Diet/ Growth Needs: It prefers sandy, loamy, and clay soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral, and basic soil and requires dry or moist soil. It cannot grow in shady areas. Reproduction: Pignut hickory begins to bear seed in quantity in 30 years, and produce it the best at the ages between 75 and 200 years and stops around the age of 300. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes are found on the same plant) and are pollinated by wind. The plant is self-fertile. The fruit of hickory is pear shaped and ripens in September and October, and seeds are dispersed from September through December. Husks are green until maturity; they turn brown to brownish-black as they ripen.The nuts are disseminated mainly by gravity, but the seedling’s range is extended by squirrels and chipmunks. Adaptions Deciduous Tree Trait During winter (in cold climates) or the dry season (in warmer climates) it becomes difficult for the tree to maintain its water balance as there is less free water available in the soil. Instead of remaining actively growing during this time of the year, the tree enters a dormant period. It allows its leaves to die after taking away valuable nutrients from the leaves for use in the next growing season.