HICKORY

Several species of hickory trees are found in the Historic Triangle area. They are all similar and no attempt is made here to differentiate between the various types.

The straight-trunked trees tower up to 120 feet and may be up to four feet in diameter. The gray bark ranges from the smoothness of the pignut hickory to the shaggy strips of the shagbark.

When the nuts mature in the fall, they shed their covers of four-sectioned husks. The meat is white with a delicious sweetness. Indians in this area taught the early colonists to use hickory nuts as a source of food.

Hickory wood is unexcelled for use where a great deal of strain or vibration is encountered. Early settlers used the wood for running gear in their wagons and carts; today it is prized for tool handles and as fuel for outdoor cooking and meat smoking.

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