Description
Once mature, they drop large amounts of delicious nuts in cycles called masts, usually happening every 3 to 5 years. They taste like a pecan but sweeter, which makes sense since pecans are a type of hickory (both are in the Carya genus). Lots of wildlife will be drawn to the nuts, too, and the leaves host upwards of 213 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars. The wood is very hard and highly prized.
These trees can handle a variety of soil conditions because of their extremely long taproot. While they can start producing nuts around age 6, they won’t produce large yields until around age 30- an investment worth making! The children in your life will thank you.
