Hickory has two distinct species as a source of timber: shagbark and shellbark hickory. There are no significant differences among them except that shagbark has five leaflets while shellbark has seven. The former is also the upland species, while the latter inhabits the bottomland.
Common Trade Name: Shagbark hickory, common hickory, upland hickory
Scientific Name: Carya ovata
Color Range: Light to medium brown heartwood with some reddish color. Sapwood has a pale yellowish-brown hue.
Availability: Common; availability and price depend on the locality.
Janka Scale Hardness: 1,880 lbf (8,360 N)
Average Weight per BF: 50 lbs/Cu. Ft.
Common Uses: tool handles, sports equipment, ladder rungs, furniture and cabinet, floating stair treads, flooring, box beams
What Is Hickory?
Hickory is the toughest among all the commonly available hardwoods in the United States. Appearance-wise, hickory lumber also has its distinctive beauty, although not as showy as other hardwoods. It has creamy yellow sapwood and brown heartwood that compares to expensive cherry before the cherry ages.
Aside from its invaluable use in equipment, craft, and construction, hickory wood is also most prized for its firewood. It is processed into charcoal that imparts a distinctive taste and aroma to smoked meat from the early centuries until today.
Hickory is ring-porous with large to very large earlywood and wider-spaced growth rings. The spacing of the ring is what gives hickory its almost invincible strength. With a Janka scale hardness of 1,880 pounds-force, it ranks among the top strongest domestic hardwoods.
Where Is Hickory Sourced From?
Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is distributed throughout the eastern United States. However, the variety may be largely absent in the southeastern and Gulf coastal plain areas. Hickory is a massive tree with a trunk that could reach about 160 feet with about 6 to 7 feet in diameter.
What to Look for When Buying Hickory
Sometimes, hickory lumber is sold as a mix of true hickory (Carya) and pecan (Carya illinoinensis). It is often hard to differentiate the species except for the distinguishing wide growth rings in hickory. You can check this in the end grains when buying hickory boards. Between these lumped woods, hickory lumber is still superior in strength, but pecan-hickory is more stable.
For flooring needs, Calico boards (hickory containing heartwood and sapwood) are more desirable for their natural wood grain pattern. These are also perfect for wall paneling, wood accent walls, shiplap paneling, or decorative wood panels.
Pros and Cons of Hickory
To an untrained eye, hickory may appeal as a weak type of wood because of its delicate and humble color. But if you know its background, you will realize how it surpasses darker-colored hardwoods in strength.
Pros
- Strength and durability
- Easy to stain and compatible with a wide selection of colors
- Less maintenance
Cons
- Not very workable
- Vulnerable to scratches
FAQs
Is hickory hard to saw?
Since it is tough hardwood, hickory lumber may give a challenging time sawing. It tends to dull machine blades, resulting in tears in its surface, but this is true for every hardwood. You can avoid this by working with well-sharpened tools and constant re-sharpening.
Is sealing necessary in hickory?
Sealing and future resealing are important steps to extend their longevity for almost every type
of hardwood.
Where to Buy Hickory
Hickory is sold in many lumber stores as solid lumber, veneer, or board. Hickory lumber is available in different grades to suit a specific project need.
If you want high-quality and reasonably-priced hardwood like hickory, check us at Alderfer Lumber Company Inc. Alderfer has a wide selection of woods, from lumber to boards, with varying grades. You may email us to inquire about a specific wood that you need.
We regularly update the inventory on our website. But the quick turnover of some woods may not sometimes display their real-time availability. Do not hesitate to reach out to us, and we will see what we can do. We can get you the best lumber for a reasonable price and deliver it wherever you are in Pennsylvania and some parts of the east coast.
