Hickory, Bitternut

Here we find the Bitternut Hickory, also known as the Carya Cordiformis, the most abundant and uniformly distributed hickory in the United States. Its bitter nuts sustain squirrels and other rodents. Notice its grayish green bark with interlacing ridges. The base of the trunk can sometimes become scaly with age. The leaves, with 7 to 11 leaflets, are a beautiful sight in the canopy. These trees can live for over 200 years, a testament to their hardiness.