Carya cordiformis
Bitternut Hickory

Mature Height: 60-150'     Longevity: 200 years

2-9 Water Range
Soil moisture tolerated by tree

4-8 Temperature Range
Hardiness Zones in which tree naturally occurs.

DEFENSE     Soil Moisture Key
2: Occurrence on dry upland soils mentioned in most references. Borderline 2-3 rating but will assign 2. Definitely not a 1 since not a drought specialist & prefers moist soils.

9: Frequently reported as being present along streams & even in swamps. Identified as associate with Water Tupelo, Swamp Tupelo forest type. Most abundant hickory probably because of wide range of acceptable moisture regimes. Borderline 8/9 but menition in swamps places in 9.

DEFENSE (from Distribution Maps)
National Audubon Society (NAS) Map: (NORTH) Solid Z4. Some small occurrences in Z3 but too limited to assign Z3 hardiness. (SOUTH) Solid Z8 w/ no occurrence in Z9.

Peterson Field Guide (PFG) Map: (NORTH) Same as NAS. (SOUTH) Solid Z8, w/ few small intrusions into Z9 in LA & TX but not enough to warrant Z9 rating.

4   Sun Strength

5   Shade Strength

DEFENSE
Growth Rate:
Succession:
Soil Range:
Salt Tol.:
Allelopath:
Avg Height:
Max Height:

Click here for Key
3.7 = Slow to moderate
0 = Climax Capable
+.4 = 3 Major, 1 Minor
0 = ???
0 = No
+.1 = 80'
+.1 = 150'

DEFENSE
Shade Tol.:
Succession:
Soil Range:
Salt Tol.:
Allelopath:
Avg Height:
Longevity:

Click here for Key
4.5 = < than Intermediate
+.3 = Climax Capable
+.4 = 3 Major, 1 Minor
0 = ???
0 = No
+.1 = 80'
-.1 = 200 yr

TOTAL SCORE (4.3): Listed with Pecan as "Fastest growing hickory?", but all hickories grow slowly. Wide soil distribution boosts overall strength by 1. Rating seems fair for "most abundant Hickory."

TOTAL SCORE (5.2): Initial shade value difficult due to wide range of reported tolerances. Seedlings identified as more tolerant than associates. Bitternut likely does best on extreme sites where moderate sun & shade values are competitive.

3   Fire Strength

5   Wind Strength

DEFENSE
Base Score: low (Big Tree) = 3
While a couple of listings rate bitternut as "Mid" tolerant, Fire Effects (FEIS) database & Silvics Manual only report low tolerance. While bark is moderately thick, it is identified as a poor insulator in the Silvics Manual. In addition, slow growth rate and only moderate lifespan ensure that a significant portion of tree life is spent as a fire sensitive juvenile. Since tree does eventually grow to large size, bark is somewhat thick, & roots can be deep, lowest fire rating seems inappropriate.
Final Value = 3

DEFENSE
Base Score: High (Big Tree)= 4-5
Very little information on wind strength. Rating of Windfirm in Silvics Manual, strong & hard wood, as well as a root system with a taproot lead to assignment of a high value. Forest Service Atlas also reports as windfirm so will assign highest value.
Final Value = 5