Alternate name: Florida Hickory

Family: Juglandaceae, Walnut view all from this family

Description Small tree with several trunks or a thicket-forming shrub with spreading crown, confined to central Florida.
Height: 10-20' (3-6 m).
Diameter: 8" (20 cm).
Leaves: pinnately compound; 4-8" (10-20 cm) long. 3-5 leaflets (sometimes 7), 1 1/2-4" (4-10 cm) long; stalkless; lance-shaped to elliptical; saw-toothed with small scattered teeth; covered with rust-colored hairs when young. Green above, yellowish-green with tiny brown gland-dots beneath.
Bark: gray; smooth, becoming furrowed into ridges.
Twigs: brown; slender; covered with rust-colored hairs when young.
Flowers: tiny; greenish; in early spring before leaves. Male, with 4-5 stamens, many in slender drooping catkins 3 hanging from 1 stalk. 1-2 female flowers at tip of same twig.
Fruit: 3/4-1 1/4" (2-3 cm) long; slightly pear-shaped or reverse egg-shaped, narrowing to stalklike base; becoming brown; thick husk splits into 2-3 parts. Rounded hickory nut less than 5/8" (15 mm) in diameter, with slightly thickened shell and edible seed.

Habitat Dry sand ridges of old dunes and hammocks in scrub vegetation with evergreen oaks.

Range Central Florida (Marion to Palm Beach counties); to 100' (30 m).

Discussion This small scrubby local hickory is the most southeastern in range. It is closely related to Pignut Hickory, which extends to the same region. Often bears nuts abundantly from the time it is only 7' (2 m) high.