I've discussed this tree here over the years; it sits about 12 inches over from my property line in my yard and is massive, it's probably 180 feet tall and has a trunk diameter of around 45 inches according to the arborist I hired a few years back to trim my side. Probably going on 120-150 years old. A good half of it basically is on my side of the property line the way it grew over the years.

Last year this thing produced a MASSIVE load of nuts that fell into my yard from July to October, it was like hundreds and hundreds of pounds worth. I got sick of raking and rolling them up with my nut roller, they are dangerous to try to walk on (like dumping out a couple thousand golf balls) and ruin the grass. Plus getting beaned by a falling one is no picnic, I have to keep my children away from the tree when they are really falling.

Well this thing must have exhausted itself last year because I realized this week that the tree has ZERO NUTS on it. Not a one! Usually by this time of year they are large and green and start dropping but there are none, HOORAY!

And I ask my neighbor every year if he is ready to cut this thing down and each time he refuses. Last year I even offered to go 50/50 on the cost but he's kind of crunchy/hippy-ish and that thing is never coming down unless it falls down.

Here are my tools used for this thing, they get a break this year:





I really wish there was a market for these things because I could make some money! They are like a better tasting walnut but also a lot harder to crack and a PITA to extract any meat from, that's why they never became commercially successful.

Hickory is a great smoking wood. Use any fallen branches, and you can also use the husks that house the nuts.

Growing up, we had a hickory tree dead center in the middle of the backyard. Much less of PITA leaf production than oaks but the hickory nuts were worse than acorns.

I remember every other year being a bumper crop, and a quick Google confirmed it.

They can be eaten. Can you crack them like pecans? Just holding two in your hand and squeesing hard. Squirrels harvest my pecan trees every year.

We were gifted three black walnut saplings at an estate sale we went to. They were the progeny of this beautiful, gigantic black walnut tree just behind the farmhouse. Planted them in the back yard. One didn't take. The other two did.

Sadly (or maybe not), my wife made me cut them down. It turns out they release a toxin in the soil that'll wipe out everything within their drip line, and even beyond. Then there's dealing with the nuts. I probably would not have enjoyed that.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
They can be eaten. Can you crack them like pecans? Just holding two in your hand and squeesing hard. Squirrels harvest my pecan trees every year.

Nope

You have to hit these SOB's with a hammer

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

We were gifted three black walnut saplings at an estate sale we went to.

It turns out they release a toxin in the soil that'll wipe out everything within their drip line, and even beyond.

Juglone

Hickories also have a significant amount of it as well but I think Walnuts have the most. Yes, the grass under and around the tree always looks like it's struggling.

I have been around hickory nut trees all my life and while I know there are different species those in the OP`s picture are nothing like any hickory nuts I have ever seen! They look more like pecans.

So species are good to eat while some are not.

As kids on my grandparent`s farm we use to pick them up by the bagful. Grandma would hours cracking and picking them apart. She made the greatest nut bread with them. I sure would give a lot for a loaf or 3!

I have a tree in my front yard but the nuts are very bitter from this one.

That looks like a paper shell pecan,easily cracked with two in your palm and squeeze your hand closed

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
I have been around hickory nut trees all my life and while I know there are different species those in the OP`s picture are nothing like any hickory nuts I have ever seen! They look more like pecans.

They are pecans.

The two photos are just stock photos from the internet

The variety of tree I deal with is a Shagbark hickory. The shagbark nuts are actually really good, just a PITA to crack and pick. You probably have a Bitternut hickory tree.

My neighbor had a huge pine tree that overhung my house. It Dumped pine straw on my roof in massive quantities, clogged the gutters, and held moisture in the back yard for all sorts of creepy crawlies and facilitated wood rot in my house and my fence. Last winter it started dropping huge limbs on my roof during a couple of snow storms, and I'd had enough. I approached her about it and she agreed to go halfzies and we paid a company to come out and cut it down. It took them almost 3 days, but and it was the best $1000 I've ever spent. I'm loving having it gone.

Now if I could just get my other neighbor to get rid of his giant Spruce that's almost as big, overhangs my garage, and threatens to fall on our house and kill us all in our sleep...

According to Wikipedia (for whatever that is worth) the largest one on record is 150’ tall. Your neighbors tree may be a record height tree.

I had to look up what tree it is, as they aren’t native to our area.

Looks like a PITA for cleaning up the nuts. At least you don’t have any to deal with this year.

Good firewood, also great for the smoker.

I want to meet ANY man that can crack hickory-nuts with his hands. But I damn sure ain't gonna shake hands with him!

Canes and sticks made from hickory are at a premium price.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
You have to hit these SOB's with a hammer

When my brother/SIL lived in South Alabama, they had a dozen or so producing pecan trees on their property. They used to gather the nuts and take them to the local AG coop to have them cracked at their cracking machine, then they packaged and sold or gave away the meat. If the hickory meat is tasty, you might look around for a solution like that. IIRC, the cost for cracking was not that much, compared to the return of selling/eating the meat.

"yep, trees are evil...cut 'em all down". at least that's how the developers here in my part of the world feel before they start to build another 150-200 house development out in what was woods.

I personally would go over and hug that tree... but then the the lack of nuts this year is probably because it decided to change its gender identity.
Your neighbors now have a tree that has realized it's true nature and does not want to have nuts anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
but then the the lack of nuts this year is probably because it decided to change its gender identity.
Your neighbors now have a tree that has realized it's true nature and does not want to have nuts anymore.

ROFLMAO!