Plant Profile: Pignut Hickory, Carya glabra
By Travis Ballard This post is one of a series from professor Nisse Goldberg's Biology students at Jacksonville University. Figure 1. Yellow-green leaflets on the compound leaf of C. glabra . Photo by Shirley Denton Classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Juglandales Family: Juglandaceae Genus: Carya Specific epithet: glabra Description Carya glabra , pignut hickory, is a hardwood tree found along the eastern coast of North America. Pignut hickory is one of seven Carya species found in Florida, where it is common in both the central and northern portions of the state. At typically 60' in height and half that in width, this tree's oval-shaped canopy and sturdy branches provide the foundation for a terrific shade tree. It grows in mesic to dry hammocks, where it is often associated with oaks ( Quercus spp.). The leaves on a pignut hickory tree are odd-pinnately compound (usually with 5 or 7 leaflets