Audubon Native Black Hickory (Carya texana)

The mighty Audubon® Native Black Hickory Tree (Carya texana) is a fantastic deciduous hardwood tree that can reach a modest 30-60 feet at maturity and spread to 20-30 feet wide. Adaptable and cold-hardy, these living Bird-Friendly trees cast deep shade with long pinnate leaves and yellowish-green catkins that become edible fall nuts if your tree is female!

Native Hickory trees feature gorgeous green foliage similar to other trees in the majestic Walnut family, all growing season and incredibly vibrant yellow fall color is an autumn treat! The setting sun shines through these trees and sets them alight, setting off the dark, furrowed bark that is the namesake for these trees! Hardy throughout USDA growing zones 5 through 9, these drought tolerant trees are fantastic wildlife sanctuaries.

Highly adaptable native trees thrive in the hottest, xeric and tough sites while being venerable hotels and buffets for wildlife, birds and butterflies! Playing host to over 200 caterpillars from butterflies and moths, that a wide variety of songbirds feed their young, including Vireos, Eastern Wood Pewees, and Scarlet Tanagers, Chickadees, Thrush, Robins and more! Since these trees are either male or female, be sure to plant in groups and create your very own nut tree grove – for both yourself and your wildlife!

Planting and Application:

Audubon® Natives like the impressive Black Hickory are classic bird sanctuaries! Housing flocks of birds and wildlife, while mature trees support entire ecosystems among their branches. Smaller than the average Hickory and tougher in drier conditions and heat, these trees add lush shade and mighty form in the landscape!

These are fantastic lawn and shade trees! A single specimen will set your front yard alight each fall and fill your backyards with birdsong. You’ll enjoy reduced cooling costs and increased home equity with a large, long-lived tree like a Hickory planted on the grounds. Plant in large open spaces and big backyards so a single tree can shade the entire area. So plant your juglone-tolerant or native perennial shade gardens beneath these limbs without worry! Or just use the dense shade for your hammock!

• Long Bright Green Foliage
• Tall Open Canopy & Straight Trunk
• Gorgeous Golden Fall Color
• Wildlife, Bird & Butterfly Habitat
• Shade, Lawn & Specimen Tree

Tips for Care:

Hickory Trees need full sun and rich well-drained soil. These hardy natives adapt to a wide range of conditions and soil types. Prune as a young tree to maintain a single stem leader, little pruning is needed after that. Mulch the root zone to hold in moisture and insulate the roots. Water young trees regularly while establishing, but after, these deer-resistant trees are adaptable to very moist conditions and occasional drought.

• Full Sun
• Almost Any Well-Drained Soil – Tolerates Clay
• Thrives in Moist, Rich Soil
• Drought Tolerant Once Established
• Heat & Cold-Hardy USDA Zones 5-9

Audubon® Native Black Hickory Trees are large-scale specimens that shade your home and house tons of wildlife! Plant adaptable and hardy native trees and shrubs to help retain the native biodiversity in your area while supporting birds, butterflies and wildlife!