Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) is a tall tree with a broad and round crown. Its name comes from the bitter, inedible nuts that the tree produces. The nuts are encased in a thin husk with tiny yellow scales that split up into 4 chambers. The nut itself is smooth and bitter. The leaves on the tree are pinnately compound, with 7 to 9 leaflets per leaf stalk. The leaves are long and have finely serrated edges. They are yellow-green above and light green, with a slightly hairy underside. The leaves are yellow in the fall. The bark on the tree is gray or light brown in color. Twigs are slender and have flat, bright yellow buds. The buds can be used as a distinguishing trait. These large trees from the hickory genus Carya can be found among the forests of eastern Minnesota. They tend to be fairly low-maintenance trees and perform best in rich, moist soils.
