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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Varnishing Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Carya cordiformis Trade Name Bitternut hickory Family Name Juglandaceae Common Names Bitternut, Bitternut hickory, Hickory, Pecan, Swamp hickory Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Building materials, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Domestic flooring, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Fuelwood, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Handles, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Ladders , Living-room suites, Millwork, Office furniture, Paneling , Parquet flooring, Poles, Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Shafts/Handles, Stools, Sub-flooring, Tables , Tool handles, Turnery, Vehicle parts Environmental Profile Rare Widespread Globally secure Generally secure within most of its natural habitat, but note exceptions. Data source is Nature Conservancy Abundant Species may be rare in some parts of its range, especially at the periphery Distribution Overview Bitternut hickory's range extends from southwestern New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and southern Quebec; west to southern Ontario, central Michigan, and northern Minnesota;, and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida. It is most common from southern New England west to Iowa and from southern Michigan south to Kentucky. Bitternut hickory is possibly the most widely and uniformly distributed hickory, being found as far north as southern Quebec, Canada and as far south as the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. It is found throughout the Eastern United States from New Hampshire south to Florida and west to Minnesota and eastern Texas. The species occurs on a wide range of sites, from dry upland sites in the southwestern part of its range to low wet woods in Louisiana. Bitternut is a major component of the White Oak-Red Oak-Hickory forest in the northern U.S. and of the Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak forest in the south. Heartwood Color Brown White Yellow Red Green/grey Tan Reddish brown Pale brown Brown Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red White Pale brown Grain Even Straight Straight Texture Medium Coarse Coarse Luster Medium Low Natural Durability Durable Very durable Resistant to termites Resistant to marine borers Susceptible to insect attack Non-resistant to powder post beetles Resistant to powder post beetles Very little natural resistance Susceptible to attack by insects Susceptible to attack by fungi No natural resistance Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules T8 - D3 (4/4); T6 -D1 (8/4) US Drying Defects Checking Distortion Case Hardening Slight twist/warp Slight surface checking Slight end splitting Poor air circulation while slow drying may cause chemical sapwood stains End checks, hairline splits, and warping may occur Ease of Drying Slowly Thick Stock Requires Care Moderately Difficult to Difficult Requires special attention Little degrade Variable results. Easy Difficult Carefully control drying conditions to minimize degrade Kiln Drying Rate Drying rate is fairly rapid to fast Tree Size Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Bark width is 20-25 mm Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Bark width is 25-30 mm Tree height is 40-50 m Bole length is 20-30 m Tree height is 30-40 m Tree height is 20-30 m Sapwood width is 5-10 cm Bole length is 30-40 m Bark width is 10-15 mm Bark width is 15-20 mm Comments 'bird pecks' leave residue Deposits in the wood Mineral Deposits - Magnesium carbonate deposits are often present and 'Bird pecks' leave residue that crystallizes Blunting Effect High to severe Severe effect Boring Fair to good results Fairly difficult to very difficult Good (75+ pieces out of 100 will yield good to excellent results) Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Cutting Resistance Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult to saw Easy to saw Moderate to saw Gluing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Carefully Controlled Conditions Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Excellent mortising properties Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Requires special attention. Reduced cutting angle is recommended for best results Movement in Service Unstable with Poor Stability - Large Movement Stable Retains shape well after manufacture Nailing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Satisfactory nailing properties Planing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Fair to Good Results Poor to Very Poor Results Special attention required Difficult to plane Reduced cutting angle of 20 degrees is recommended for best results Resistance to Impregnation Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Sanding Good sanding qualities Screwing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Fair to Good Results Good screw holding properties Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Easy to turn Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Difficult to veneer Steam Bending Very good Painting Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Polishing Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Finishes well Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Difficult to Very Difficult Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Max. crushing strength = high Hardness (side grain) = hard Bending strength (MOR) = high Hickory is described as unique among temperate hardwoods due its combination of high bending strength, stiffness, hardness, and resistance to shock. It resists suddenly applied loads exceptionally well, and is far superior to Ash (Fraxinus ) in that respect. The densest and toughest hickory wood is produced by fast grown, wide-ringed trees. Density of such wood is considerably higher than that of Ash, especially in the seasoned condition. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 9898 16464 psi Crushing Strength 779 1583 psi Impact Strength 65 65 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 4351 7379 psi Shearing Strength 1215 psi Static Bending 3920 7840 psi Stiffness 1519 2029 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 18 20 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.56 0.62 Weight 91 57 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % Volumetric Shrinkage 13 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 695 1157 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 54 111 kg/cm2 Impact Strength 164 164 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 305 518 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 85 kg/cm2 Static Bending 275 551 kg/cm2 Stiffness 106 142 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 1.26 1.40 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.56 0.62 Weight 1458 913 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 9 % References Boone, R. S., C. J. Kozlik, P. J. Bois, and E. M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. Kaiser, Jo-ann. Wood of the Month: Hickory. Wood and Wood Products, September, 1990. Page 46. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A. J. and C. deZeeuw. Textbook of Wood Technology. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. Rendle, B.J. Editor. 1969. World Timbers, Volume Two - North & South America (Including Central America and the West Indies). Published by Ernest Benn Limited, Bouverie House, Fleet Street, London. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.