FNPS Plant Database

Carya tomentosa

mockernut hickory
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

mockernut hickory

Synonym(s):

Carya alba

Genus species:

Carya tomentosa

Family:

Juglandaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

60-80 (90) ft tall by 40-50 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

deciduous

Noted For:

Fall Color

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Large shade tree. Plant where falling/fallen nuts will not be a problem.

Considerations:

Plant where nut and leaf litter will not be a problem.

Availability:

Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Seed. Difficult to transplant unless done when small enough not to impact the top root.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■□□□□□□

Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Acidic to neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Ecology

Wildlife:

Caterpillars, Mammals

Larval host for many moths including; luna moth ( Actias luna ), hickory leafroller moth ( Argyrotaenia juglandana ), royal walnut moth ( Citheronia regalis ), and walnut sphinx ( Amorpha juglandis.

Small mammals (squirrels and other rodents) consume nuts. 

Native Habitats:

Dry hammocks, dry hardwood forests

Natural Range in Florida:

Loading Florida counties…

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Nuts are edible. The wood is prized for furniture, flooring, tool handles, baseball bats, skis, and veneer. Hickory wood has a very high fuel value, both as firewood and as charcoal, and is the preferred wood for smoking hams.

General Comments:

Citations:

Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2025.


Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Request an update