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Caryas

Posted by lcadem 5a (My Page) on
Sat, Aug 18, 12 at 18:49

Dear all

what is the best carya (hickory) in your opinion. I have seeds of glabra, laciniosa, and ovata. My garden plan now has an opening for a group of three that will serve as background to a serbian spruce. I was wondering which of the caryas I should put there.
I have seen ovatas (they are beautiful but the leaves that are shaded are very dull in color...), glabras (look a lot like ash trees) but I have not seen laciniatas.

I know there are several carya experts here :-)

Cheers!


Follow-Up Postings:

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RE: Caryas

  • Posted by beng z6b western MD (My Page) on
    Sun, Aug 19, 12 at 8:51

IMHO, for a lawn tree (not nuts), bitternut hickory.


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RE: Caryas

+1 on the cordiformis^. A great and underused tree, IMO. Gotta love those buds.

+oM


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RE: Caryas

My vote goes to C.laciniosa. In a good spot, can rival C.cordiformis for growth rate, seems to be less prone to splitting/branch loss than bitternut(one of the fastest-growing hickories, but also the weakest wooded), foliage is clean and most I've seen aren't much affected by scab. Large terminal buds, which, on some selections, are red-tinted - look almost like a tulip as they're unfurling in early spring. Good golden-yellow fall color.
Bark perhaps not quite so striking in its exfoliating habit as C.ovata, but more interesting, to me, than that of cordiformis, tomentosa, and the like.
Nuts are larger and thicker-shelled than most C.ovata selections but are tasty, and most crack out relatively well - provided you have a suitable nut cracker - yielding decent-sized nutmeat portions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shagbark & Shellbark Hickories


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RE: Caryas

how about carya glabra. Dirr says it is the best carya... but it seems to be very slow growing...


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RE: Caryas

Yeah, I like the shellbarks too. Though not usually depicted as native to my area, I know of a woods that's full of them.

+oM


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RE: Caryas

  • Posted by jqpublic 7b/8a Wake County NC (My Page) on
    Wed, Aug 22, 12 at 0:57

laciniosa is a personal favorite of mine


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RE: Caryas

I have glabra, ovalis, tomentosa, and cordiformis native on the farm here, as well as ovata, laciniosa, and illinoinensis(pecan). All have their admirable features.

But...most of my plantings are dual purpose - I want edible fruits/nuts in addition to aesthetics, whenever possible. This provides added incentive, to me, to plant 'improved' selections with good nut quality or production - hence, the advantage goes to laciniosa and ovata, in my consideration.


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RE: Caryas

Interesting posts and link!

I have probably 2 dozen ovata seedlings from 3" to 8" tall that I've dug up from my yard and potted up. Sometimes it's possible to get enough of the tap root, other times not. I've found that squirrels like to dig at them trying to get the nut? and often chew off the main steam (same with oak seedlings).

Now I'm wondering what is the best way to find new homes for them, as I might have room for a few of the larger ones in my yard. There are some wooded areas not far away, but they already have mature ones, and I'm sure, plenty of seedlings. I'm thinking of craigslist, but wonder if there's any other ideas? Not entirely sure what I'll do with them for the winter, either.

Thanks,

vince


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