broom hickory

A very large, slow-growing deciduous tree with an oval-shaped crown and deep root system, also known by its common name of 'pignut hickory'. It can reach a maximum height of around 30m, but is smaller if cultured. Smooth, grey bark in young specimens turns to a textured brown as the tree matures and the pendulous foliage emerges brownish-green, changing to glossy pale green in the summer and then finally golden-yellow in the autumn. Fruits are nut-like and pear-shaped with a brown shell, and only appear on very mature specimens. Although edible, they are very bitter and tend to be favoured more by wildlife