Backyard ID Help

[Bradig]

Hello All,

This tree produces these pear shaped pods. When broken open they smell really good. Is there anyone out there that knows what this is. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I live in Norton Massachusetts. I am near the south coast of the state about 20 minutes from providence Rhode Island.

Thank you,

Brad

 

[mrtree]

Its a hickory, maybe Carya cordiformes

 

[Bradig]

Thank you for your response. I tried to match up that species. It doesn't seem to match. The bark of the tree in question is smooth. The branches also seem spindly as opposed to thick. Any other ideas? Is it safe to assume there are a ton of other hickory species? And it may be one of these?

 

[Bradig]

If more pictures are needed let me know what could help. Also if it is a hickory would it be dangerous to use the pods,nuts, or what have you, as food?

 

[oldoakman]

Paw Paw possibly

 

[Nish]

The bark on young hickories can be pretty smooth.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[mrtree]

Not paw paw as the leaves are pinnate in the photo.

Hickory nuts are extremely high in caloric value although different species have variation in shell thickness and thus ease of cracking. They are a big hit with much wildlife and Carya ovata and Carya lacinoisa were of great importance to natives in parts of eastern North America such that they farmed these hickories and moved the seed beyond the "natural" range.

 

[Bradig]

Thank you.

 

[JD3000]

Definitely a Carya

 

[Zacchaeus]

looks like a Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) to me... pinnately compound with 5 leaflets and pear shaped nuts. bark may be smooth on younger branches or younger trunks. the nuts would be edible like the shagbark, shellbark and white (or mocker nut).
definitely not a Paw Paw. the leaves on Paw Paw are single, entire, with smooth margins, whereas this has pinnately compound leaves with serrated margins. the Paw Paw fruit is also soft like a banana and doesn't have ridges and is bigger than the pignuts