A hican is a tree resulting from a
cross between a
pecan and some other type of
hickory
Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes around 18 species. Five or six species are native to China, Indochina, and India (Assam), as many as twelve are native to the United States, four are found in Mexi ...
(members of the genus ''
Carya'') - or the
nut from such a hybrid tree.
Such crosses often occur naturally while most such hybrids produce unfilled nuts or have other serious flaws. Some have desirable qualities from both species and are propagated commercially for nut production. Their properties vary greatly with the particular ancestral species of hickory. Some produce very desirable nuts with a flavor said to be similar to the better types of hickory nuts (not all hickories produce palatable nuts) but far easier to shell.
Varieties
An older hican variety, 'James' (
''C. illinoiensis'' X
''C. laciniosa''), from
Missouri, was propagated and sold by a national nursery, giving it wide distribution. Unfortunately, it has been an erratic producer in most locations. One of the best-tasting hican nuts is the
'Burton', which is round and thin in shape.
References
External links