Carya glabra, the pignut hickory, is a common, but not abundant species of hickory 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, …

Common in open woodland, hedgerows and dry grassland, pignut is a small umbellifer (member of the carrot family) with fine leaves and delicate stems. Small umbels (umbrella-like clusters) of white flowers appear between May and June, and are attractive to a range of insects, such as soldier beetles and hoverflies.

Conopodium majus is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the celery family, Apiaceae. Its underground part resembles a chestnut and is sometimes eaten as a wild or cultivated root vegetable.

Pignut hickory is a medium to a large deciduous tree in the walnut family (Juglandaceae) native to eastern, southeastern and central USA and parts of Canada. It is found in all areas of NC. The Genus name comes from the Greek word karya used for walnut trees.

The pignut hickory inhabits most of the eastern United States, specifically from Ontario to central Florida and then out to Mississippi in the south. It is most abundant in fertile soils of bottomland hardwoods, oak hammocks, upland slopes, and ridges with other oaks and hickories.

Pignut hickory is a large tree that has a tall, but relatively narrow crown. The bark is tight rather than shaggy and the fall color is golden. The nuts produced are bitter tasting. This species is native to the Chicago region according to Swink and Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research.

A North American native, pignut hickory is usually seen at 50 to 65 feet in height with a 30- to 40-foot spread but is capable of slowly reaching 120 feet in the forest. The deciduous, 8- to 12-inch long leaves create a coarse, oval canopy, and the strong but irregularly spaced branches resist breakage in storms, making it useful as a shade tree.

The pignut hickory is a member of the walnut family (Juglandaceae). It typically reaches 50-80 feet in height and has a canopy width of 30-40 feet. The bark of the tree is usually gray in color1,2. When the trees are young, they have a smooth bark, but as they mature, the bark develops scaly ridges.

Pignut, or Conopodium majus, is a small, herbaceous plant native to Europe and parts of Asia. It is a member of the carrot family (Apiaceae) and is closely related to other familiar plants such as carrots, parsley, and fennel. Pignut is also sometimes called earthnut, because its edible tubers grow underground and resemble nuts in shape and flavor.

The pignut hickory tree (Carya glabra) is an underappreciated but interesting species. See photos and learn more about the tree here.