# I love me some trees, but these damn Hickory trees... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 8, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317 "2011-07-08T15:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/1 "2011-07-08T15:08:09Z")
are a PITA! I have 4 fully mature hickory trees in my backyard, one of which overhangs the deck on the back of our house, while another overhangs my driveway. I’m a bit of a tree-hugger, but dang, these are a poor choice for a suburban backyard, From the incredible volume of [springtime debris](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catkin), to the gigantic car-denting, sounds-like-a-rifle-shot-when-it-hits-your-deck nuts, I’m tempted to get out the chainsaw. Well, not really, I couldn’t bring myself to cut down 4 perfectly healthy trees, and they do shade the south side of my house nicely. But still, they are a pain in the butt. A nut almost beaned my black lab the other day, it landed right next to her while she was…uh…making a deposit, Scared the everloving crap out of her, so to speak. Just sharing. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/2 "2011-07-08T17:08:11Z")
I feel your pain. We don’t have hickory trees but we do have silver maples. Piles of those helicopter seed thingies and small twigs every time the wind blows. I’m pretty sure these trees are why our neighbors installed rain gutters with covers. The guy was on his roof a couple weeks ago sweeping off the seeds. They do give nice shade though. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/3 "2011-07-08T17:26:57Z")
Oh man! We’ve got [black walnut](http://www.google.com/search?q=black+walnut+tree&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=ykF&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=vT0XTpuLIoHVgQfO1sUZ&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1331&bih=756) trees. I think one dropped a nut and dented my grill the other day. Sounded like it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/4 "2011-07-08T17:32:07Z")
Those nuts make really good smoke for the barby, next time you smoke a rack of ribs. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/5 "2011-07-08T18:51:41Z")
A long time ago I worked at a hospital research center where I had to walk to deliver study materials to another center a few blocks away several times a day. I had to walk a gauntlet of [horse chestnut](https://www.progressivehealth.com/images/horse-chestnut.jpg) trees lining the sidewalks the whole way just as the buckeyes were dropping. Those things are like little assault weapons raining down from the sky. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/6 "2011-07-08T19:08:16Z")
Black walnut for us and the worst part is they’re in the neighbors back yard and lean over ours. Dumb dog tries to eat them and gets sick. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/7 "2011-07-08T20:56:23Z")
If it’s a shagbark or shellbark hickory, the nuts are supposed to be really good to eat. (wouldn’t know; I have a pecan tree in my backyard that’s a PITA in its own right) ---
**Author:** ![markm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@markm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markm)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/8 "2011-07-08T21:05:43Z")
I’d trade you my sycamore for your hickory OR for the pecan tree. At least what those drop is useful (and tasty), and the fallen limbs/twigs/etc can be used for smoking. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/9 "2011-07-09T01:16:00Z")
Another smoky reason to love your Shagbark Hickory tree, it’s [syrup](http://hickoryworks.com/).🆒 ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/10 "2011-07-10T01:06:52Z")
It’s a black walnut tree. Huge nuts. We have two big oaks in the front yard. Every few years our driveway has thousands of little ball bearings. Okay, really they are acorns, but same effect. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/11 "2011-07-10T01:24:15Z")
Wood chips for a smoker on the hoof! I’ll be over with my ax and charge you very little for cutting them down. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/12 "2011-07-10T11:45:34Z")
We have a wooded lot with hickory, black walnut, and whatever it is that drops those little prickly balls. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/13 "2011-07-10T12:53:17Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > We have a wooded lot with hickory, black walnut, and whatever it is that drops those little prickly balls. Sweet Gums (the name of the tree with the prickly balls). Have one in our front yard… beautiful in the fall, but the balls are horrible. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/14 "2011-07-10T19:36:12Z")
I have a fused apple/pear tree in my front yard. When we bought the place I was so excited, thinking I was going to have apples and pears. What I have is a hell of a lot of pink flowers to rake up in the spring and crab apple bombs during the summer. The car is safe because we have a garage and the tree doesn’t overhang the driveway. But, at least once a week I get bonked on the head while walking to check my mail. That fucker is coming down as soon as we have the spare money. When it’s gone, I think I’ll plant something safe - like tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/15 "2011-07-11T13:23:04Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Sweet Gums (the name of the tree with the prickly balls). > > Have one in our front yard… beautiful in the fall, but the balls are horrible. Oh you mean these little [beauties?](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2083/2256694696_4f60947a61.jpg) We have one those too. Come to think of it, we have a lot of nuisance trees. Three hickory trees, one sweet gum, two pin oaks We also have cedar and two maples, but they are relatively nuisance-free. Still, glad to have them all, lot’s of shade, and they are beautiful. Doesn’t mean I don’t grumble about them at a times. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/16 "2011-07-11T13:43:54Z")
I’ll trade you for every sugar maple in my neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/17 "2011-07-11T16:22:33Z")
Around here, whenever land is cleared, a flock of alder trees spring up. They grow for twenty-five years, then die and rot and fall on your house. The wife and I are going to have to get a tree service in this summer and have about four of then taken down. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/18 "2011-07-11T16:36:41Z")
I’ve got a bradford pear in the front yard. It’s a very pretty tree when it’s in bloom, but dear God is it messy! After those pretty flowers bloom, they all drop onto the front yard in a thick carpet that has to be raked up if you don’t want it to smother your lawn. And it drops branches every time the wind blows even gently. The wife loves it (because she doesn’t have to clean up after it), but I fantisize about finding some sort of tree disease that only kills bradford pears 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/19 "2011-07-11T16:39:32Z")
I still have dents on my pickup truck from the hickory trees at my old house. They were nice trees, you just had to remember not to park under them (and of course one overhung the part of the driveway closest to my house.) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317/20 "2011-07-11T16:55:39Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > I fantisize about finding some sort of tree disease that only kills bradford pears 🆒 Those are called ice storms. Bradfords are the worst - they’re fragile in the winter, they’re absolute torture on people with allergies, and they’re a pretty invasive species. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-me-some-trees-but-these-damn-hickory-trees/588317.md?page=2)