Hickory (Carya ovata*)

 Hickories are a large family of trees that are part of the walnut family.  Their gray bark ranged from smooth, to slightly ridged bark of the pignut hickory, to the peeling plates of the shagbark (*the scientific classification above is for the shagbark).  It had historically been valuable for its nuts.  They fall to the ground in quartered husks, Native Americans used the hickory nut as a major food source. 

 Hickories have a compound leaf with leaflets pinately arranged (like a feather).  They range in size from about 16 cm (6 in) to more than 40 cm (16 in) for the big-leaf hickory.

The commercially grown pecan tree was bred from the wild pecan hickory.

 Hickory has long been valued for its tough, hard wood.  It is used for tool handles, sports equipment, and furniture.  It one of the best wood fuels and it is used to smoke meat.