This week our shade tree is the nutmeg hickory (
Carya myristiciformis). The cloudy, rainy weather hasn't given us much opportunity to appreciate the shadiness of this tree, but rest assured: it does good work. The fruits of the tree make it a stand-out specimen for this series. Large nuts, quite similar to pecans, are developing on the branches. Let's keep an eye on them, to make sure the squirrels don't have all the fun.
There is only one nutmeg hickory in the arboretum collection. In 1990, it was purchased from Woodlanders nursery (Aiken, South Carolina) and planted the same year. That makes the tree approximately 30 years old. Its companion, bought and planted at the same time, is a soapberry tree (
Sapindus drummondii). A Shumard oak (
Quercus shumardii) was added nearby in 1993. All three trees are doing great, on a gradual slope, at the far north side of the arboretum.
Note: All photos below were taken on a cloudy day. We have had more cloudy, rainy weather this week, and more of the same is predicted for next week, with Hurricane Harvey making landfall tonight, on the southern coast of Texas.
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| This is a shady spot on the north side of the arboretum, with the band shell in the background. Three trees are pictured, all approximately 30 years old. LEFT: Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii); CENTER: Nutmeg hickory (Carya myristiciformis); and, RIGHT: Soapberry tree (Sapindus drummondii). A yaupon holly bush can be seen in the background, occupying the middle space between the hickory and soapberry. |
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| On a cloudy day, the impact of the shade tree isn't as noticeable. |
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| Looking up |
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| The topside of the leaf is a shiny green. This particular leaf has 7 leaflets, but the number of leaflets can range from 5 to 11. |
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| The toothed edges of the leaflets can be seen in this photo. The underside of the leaf is a whitish-green with a hint of yellow. |
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| Branchlet, twig, and fruit |
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| There are a good many nuts on the tree this year, but this is still a young hickory, not yet producing its maximum potential. |
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| The yellow husk conceals the fruit, which is said to be sweet, though difficult to get to. |
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| Bark of tree approximately 30 years of age: we can see vertical strips in the bark, and some splitting, but the trunk doesn't have the shaggy appearance of what is considered an 'old' specimen. |
You can see more photos of the arboretum's nutmeg hickory
here.
For more information about this species consult the following:
United States Department of Agriculture
Texas A&M University Aggie Horticulture (check out the distribution map)
Stephen F. Austin State University
