Hickory and More at Crothers Woods: December 2021

We are at the northern limit for Bitternut Hickory and Crothers Woods is a good place to find these interesting trees. The Bitternut is the most abundant and widespread of Canadian Hickories.

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)

The yellow buds are very distinctive.

Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)
Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)

They can live to 150 years old and grow up to 25 metres in height. The wood is used to produce smoke which gives hams and bacon a hickory-smoked flavour. The nut kernels are non-edible.

Shagbark Hickory is found in a few Toronto locations and has unusual bark.

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)
Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Crothers Woods views:

Other botany:

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Tansy (Tanecetum vulgare)
Dog-strangling Vine (Vincetoxicum rossicum)
Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia)
Hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadense)
Panicled Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)
Moss
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Basswood fruiting bodies
Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)
American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
White Birch (Betula papyrifera)
Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum)
Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo)
Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Blue-beech (Carpinus caroliniana)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Blue-beech (Carpinus caroliniana)
Blue-beech (Carpinus caroliniana)

NATURE POETRY

a wind has blown the rain away and blown
the sky away and all the leaves away,
and the trees stand. I think i too have known
autumn too long                                                    e. e. cummings (1894–1962)

Miles Hearn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *