Plant Details

Carya cordiformis

Bitternut, Bitternut hickory

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Common names

30 names · 16 languages
EnglishYour language
  • bitter hickory[2]
  • bitter pecan[2]
  • Bitternut[2]
+9 more namesShow fewer names
Other languages (15)
Dutch
  • Bitternoot
French
  • Caryer cordiforme[2]
Alabama
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 心果山核桃[2]
  • 苦果山核桃[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 心果山核桃[2]
  • 苦果山核桃[2]
Czech
  • ořechovec hořký[2]
Finnish
  • karvashikkori[2]
German
  • Bitternuss[2]
Mvskoke
  • ocē-tokfv[2]
Polish
  • Orzesznik gorzki[2]
Russian
  • Гикори горький[2]
  • Кария сердцевидная[2]
Seneca
  • O:nyó’gwajiwagëh[2]
Slovak
  • hikória horká[2]
Spanish
  • jicoria amarga[2]
Ukrainian
  • Карія серцеподібна[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K.Koch ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Bitternut hickory — VernacularName.tsv, line 154686; taxon 99H5P.
[2] Carya cordiformis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • bitternut hickory — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • ořechovec hořký — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • Orzesznik gorzki — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • caryer cordiforme — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • jicoria amarga — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • O:nyó’gwajiwagëh — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • Ochatakba — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • 心果山核桃 — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • 心果山核桃 — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • 苦果山核桃 — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • 苦果山核桃 — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • Кария сердцевидная — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • Гикори горький — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • Bitternuss — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • swamp hickory — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • pignut — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • karvashikkori — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • ocē-tokfv — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • bitternut — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • pignut hickory — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • bitter hickory — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • bitter pecan — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • pig hickory — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • red hickory — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • white hickory — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • yellowbud hickory — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • oilnut — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • hikória horká — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.
  • Карія серцеподібна — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 54787; Carya cordiformis.

General information

Scientific name: Carya cordiformis
Accepted name (Kew): Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K.Koch View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Juglandaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Carya (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Bitternut, Bitternut hickory
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Nut tree
Catalogue size class: Large
Height: 15.24–30.48 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 7.62–12.19 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Fast
Sources [3]
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Ascending, Irregular, Oval, Pyramidal, Rounded

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally Wet

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Seed, Oil
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(1)
Functions:
Oil, Wood

Description

Seed - raw or cooked. The seed is thin-skinned but has a bitter and astringent taste. Even squirrels often leave it behind. The seed is about 3 cm long. It ripens in late autumn and can be stored in its shell for at least 6 months in a cool place.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/09
Harvest ends: 30/11

Crown

Crown shape: Broadly pyramidal; ovoid in open sites

Crown size and shape vary between woodland and open sites.

Sources [3]
Crown density: Dense crown

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 756174; name ID 2701738; Carya Nutt.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1337653; name ID 2701766; Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K.Koch.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Carya cordiformis

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 3759236, ID 99H5P: Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K.Koch (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Carya cordiformis — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: Crown shapeHeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Crown shape: Description: crown architecture
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 25 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .