Carya tomentosa

(Lam. ex Poir.) Nutt.

Mockernut Hickory

G5Secure Found in 7 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.140258
Element CodePDJUG010G0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderJuglandales
FamilyJuglandaceae
GenusCarya
Synonyms
Carya alba(L.) Nutt. ex Ell.
Other Common Names
mockernut hickory (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
The name Carya alba is rejected because it is ambiguous, the correct name for Mockernut Hickory is Carya tomentosa (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1997, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2023-09-22
Change Date1994-08-09
Edition Date2023-09-22
Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2023).
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Mockernut Hickory occurs in the eastern United States, from southern New England to Iowa, Kansas, and Texas, and south to central Florida. It is is considered to be common throughout most of its range, with more than 1300 occurrences in forests and woodlands, on well-drained sandy soils. Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat due to residential development and urbanization, competition from invasive exotic plants, and forest succession.
Range Extent Comments
Mockernut Hickory occurs in the eastern United States, from southern New England to Iowa, Kansas, and Texas, and south to central Florida. Range extent was estimated to be 2.6 million square kilometers, using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023 (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1997, GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Occurrences Comments
Mockernut Hickory is considered to be common throughout most of its range (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022). By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1992 and 2023, it is estimated that there are more than 1300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, SEINet 2023).
Threat Impact Comments
Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat due to residential development and urbanization, competition from invasive exotic plants, and forest succession.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Mockernut hickory occurs in forests and woodlands, on well-drained sandy soils, an rolling hills and rocky hillsides, and occasionally on limestone outcrops, at up to 900 m in elevation (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1997, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).

Reproduction

Flowers in the spring, April and May and fruits in October (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1997, Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2022).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - Mixed
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IllinoisS3Yes
OhioSNRYes
LouisianaSNRYes
KentuckyS4Yes
ArkansasSNRYes
ConnecticutSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
GeorgiaSNRYes
TexasSNRYes
DelawareS5Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
FloridaS3Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
MississippiSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
New YorkS5Yes
IndianaSNRYes
KansasS2Yes
MassachusettsSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
New JerseyS5Yes
IowaS4Yes
District of ColumbiaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesRestricted (11-30%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

Plant Characteristics
DurationDECIDUOUS
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (7)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Georgia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
North Mountain HopevilleMonongahela National Forest6,525
References (6)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1997. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 590 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
  3. iNaturalist. 2023. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2023).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  6. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2022. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of April 24, 2022. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2022 pp.