Scrub Hickory

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Compound leaf of the scrub hickory
Compound leaf of the scrub hickory
Scrub Hickory
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Family: Juglandaceae
Genus: Carya
Species: C. floridana
Binomial name
Carya floridana
Sarg.

The Scrub Hickory (Carya floridana, syn. Hicoria floridana) is a tree native to the southeastern United States, where it is endemic in central Florida.

Although it can grow to the height of 25 meters, many specimens are seen as shrubs 3-5 m tall with many small trunks. The leaves are 20-30 cm long, pinnate, with three to seven leaflets, each leaflet 4-10 cm long and 2-4 cm broad, with a coarsely toothed margin. The fruit is a nut 3-4 cm long and 2-2.5 cm diameter, with a thick, hard shell and a sweet, edible seed.

It is geographically separated form the similar Black Hickory (Carya texana). The Scrub Hickory intergrades with the Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra) where ranges overlap.

The seeds require stratification to germinate.

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