Missouri Department of Conservation

Other Content You May Like

• Time for Squirrels to Start Cuttin’ Hickory NutsJust about the time kids head back to school, it's time to head to the nearest hickory tree for some squirrel huntin'.
• Black HickoryThis tree is also called the Ozark pignut hickory. Its nut, like that of the pignut hickory (Carya glabra), has a tough husk that is doggone hard to crack. Because rural Ozarkers noticed their rooting hogs had no trouble extracting the sweet kernels, both species came to be called "pignut hickories."
• Shagbark HickoryMany Missouri trees are quite useful, and shagbark hickory is a great example. Its wood makes excellent, slow-burning charcoal, its nuts are edible and its wood is used for many implements. Wildlife from moths to squirrels to bats appreciate shagbarks, too!
• PecanOne of Missouri’s favorite nut trees is the pecan, which is a type of hickory—and hickories are in the walnut family! Originally pecan had a fairly limited, southern distribution, but today it is found in and out of cultivation nearly statewide, owing to the popularity of the nuts.
• Mockernut HickoryMissouri is rich with hickory trees. This hickory stands out from the rest for its hard wood, thick-shelled fruit enclosing relatively small kernels, large and light-colored terminal buds and tight, never shaggy, bark.