Flower: Male flowers are drooping catkins, with three hanging from one stalk, 2 to 3 inches long. Female flowers are short and found in clusters at the end of the
branches. Present April to May.
Fruit: Obovoid to pear-shaped, 1 to 2 inches long, with a thin husk that only partially dehisces upon maturation. The nut is not ribbed and the seed is usually bitter.
Ripening in September to October.
Twig: Moderately stout to slender (when compared to the other hickories) and glabrous. Leaf scars are 3-lobed to cordate--best described as a "monkey face". The
terminal bud is small and light brown in color.
Bark: The bark on young trees is smooth, soon becoming finely shaggy. The bark on older trees has obvious close interlacing ridges.
Form: A medium-sized tree with a rounded crown and a straight trunk.
