Hickory

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Hickory

Photo and data from Forest World

Common Names

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Mockernut hickory

White hickory

Hickory

Mockernut

Common Uses

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Baseball bats

Cabinetmaking

Decorative veneer

Dining-room furniture

Fine furniture

Flooring

Furniture

Furniture components

Handles

Skis

Sporting Goods

Tool handles

Veneer

Species Distribution

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REGIONS:

North America

COUNTRIES:

Canada

United States

Physical and Environmental Profile

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Environment Profile

The conservation status of this species within its
geographical range has not been officially assessed.

Distribution

The growth range of Mockernut hickory in North America is
reported to include south eastern Canada and eastern United States.
It is reported to occur from the southern tip of Ontario to Massachusetts, south to northern Florida,
west to eastern Texas, and north to southeastern Iowa.
It grows at elevations of up to 3000 feet (914 m) in the southern Appalachians,
and prefers moist uplands and, less frequently, flood plains.
It is usually found in mixed stands with Oaks (Quercus ),
and may also be found in association with Pines (Pinus ).

Tree Data

The tree is reported to produce nuts and leaves which are aromatic when crushed
Boles are straight, well-formed, and clear of branches for about half the height of the mature tree.
Mature tree height is reported to be 50 to 80 feet (15 to 24 m),
with a trunk diameter of about 24 inches (60 cm).

Sapwood Color

The often wide sapwood is very pale in color and is clearly demarcated from the heartwood.
It is usually sold separately as White hickory.

Heartwood Color

The heartwood is brown or reddish-brown and is marketed under the name of Red hickory.

Grain

Grain is reported to be often straight, but may be wavy or irregular.

Texture

The wood is generally coarse-textured.

Natural Durability

The wood is reported to have very little resistance to decay.
Standing trees and logs are reported to be susceptible to attack by
forest longhorn or Buprestid beetles, and the sapwood is
vulnerable to attack by powder-post beetles.

Blunting Effect

The wood is reported to have moderate to severe dulling effect on cutting edges.

Cutting Difficulty

Narrow bandsawing is reported to be satisfactory.

Planing

Hickory is reported to be generally difficult to machine.
Material containing interlocked grain requires a reduced cutting angle of
20 degrees in planing operations.

Turning

Turning properties are rated as fairly good.

Boring

The wood is reported to have excellent boring qualities.

Mortising

Mortising characteristics are rated as very good.

Gluing

Hickory is reported to be rather difficult to glue.

Nailing

Pre-boring is recommended in nailing.

Polishing

Polishing characteristics are reported to be good.

Staining

The wood is reported to take stains well.

Steam Bending

Hickory is reported to be highly suitable for steam bending applications
because of a combination of high bending and crushing strengths,
high stiffness, and very high resistance to shock loads.

Strength Properties

Several species in the genus Carya, including Shellbark (C. laciniosa ),
Pignut (C. glabra ), Mockernut (C. tomentosa ), and Shagbark (C. ovata )
are reported to be often mixed together and marketed under
the trade name Hickory because of very close similarities.
Density and other related properties of the species are reported to be
significantly determined by the rate of growth.
Wood with wide growth rings are generally high in density and strength.
The wood is reported to have very good strength properties in relation to its weight,
and is well suited for applications where shock resistance is required.
Strength properties are reported to be slightly superior to those of European beech (Fagus),
but toughness is reported to be considerably higher.

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References

Numerical Data Source

USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service,
Agriculture Handbook No. 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Descriptive Data Source

Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology.
McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources.
McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.

HMSO. 1981. Handbook of Hardwoods, 2nd Edition.
Revised by R.H. Farmer. Department of the Environment, Building Research Establishment,
Princes Risborough Laboratory, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Lincoln, W.A. 1986. World Woods in Color.
Linden Publishing Co. Inc. Fresno, California.

Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988.
Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57,
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Little, E.L.1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region.
Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.

Rendle, B.J. Editor. 1969. World Timbers, Volume Two - North & South America (Including Central America and the West Indies).
Published by Ernest Benn Limited, Bouverie House, Fleet Street, London.

Cypress Woodworks/2001

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