ISSUE 2, NUTS, Part 2: Hican

History & Varieties

Hicans

I asked the late A J Bullard of Mount Olive NC what his favorite nut was.  “The finest tasting nut I ever ate was a McAlister Hican.”  I told him that I had never tasted a Hican of any sort, and had only the most general sort of awareness of their existence.  I knew that they were natural crosses of pecans with hickories (both are members of the Carya genus).  Beyond that I was ignorant.  But when A J died in 2020, I remembered his praise of the hican, and I determined that I would find out about this nut. 

Hicans (there are more than one kind) result from natural crosses of pecans with one of the several varieties of American hickory species, (shagbark, shellbark, mockernut, pignut, and bitternut being the most common). Originally these crosses were natural and took place in that zone where the southern Pecans intermingled with the northern Hickories in the Mississippi Valley—In Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, parts of Indiana.  Most of these crosses produced seedling trees that generated hollow nuts, or bitter nut meats, or nuts that wouldn’t fill completely.  Only rarely did a cross produce a tree with a different configuration and flavor of nut that was pleasing, novel, and productive enough to replicate as a cropping variety.  The first known cultivated Hican was the Nussbaumer from Fayetteville, IL in 1870.  It wasn’t until the 1890s that a movement to seek and nurture Hican varieties emerged, and it took place because of the disappointments attending the efforts to breed northern pecans.

            We have to keep in mind a number of circumstances at play in the late 19th and early 20th century when it comes to nuts.  Of the Carya family of nuts only pecans inspired tremendous demand.  In northern states the native Hickories did not inspire consumer desire.  First, the shells were too hard; extracting  meats was a chore.  Second, the flavor of the English {Persian) Walnut and the Black Walnut were considered superior to even the finest Shellbark Hickories.  The flavor (particularly the bitterness) might vary from tree to tree in hickories, they were so genetically diverse.  What northern growers wanted was a pecan the size of a big hickory, with a papershell and hickory cold tolerance.  Three Hicans bred in the 1890s attempt this in various ways:  The McAlister (also McCalister) bore a nut that looked like a monster pecan, was thin shelled, cold tolerant and not at all bitter.  It would become, after problems with nuts not filling were worked out, the most popular variety of the first half of the twentieth century.  It was a Shellbark cross with a pecan.   A less tasty and large offspring of the same cross, the Rockville, was favored for its productivity.  The most popular Shagbark cross with a pecan was the Burton Hican, that may have been the most cold tolerant of the early Hicans and is still grown in Ontario. 

            Pomologist John Hershey was the most vocal advocate of the Hican in the twentieth century and a seeker after novelty in flavor and configuration.  He drew attention to the Wright Hican, a variety with a singularly rich and complex taste.  Certain Nurseries kept Hicans in stock over the course of the 20th Century.  Another Hican with a striking flavor was the Pleas, a cross between a bitternut and a pecan that has the shape of a hickory, excellent cold tolerance, size, and ample nut meat—it became the favorite of the Hicans with a hickory nut configuration. 

            Hicans had other virtues.  Some were beautiful trees with dark green foliage and ample shade.  Nurseries were not averse to selling hicans as ornamentals. 

Where to get hican trees?  Yes American nurseries offer trees (Burton, Henke, and James seem readily available). And you can find listings on eBay of all places! But I would contact University forestry and horticultural departments. Purdue has a famous collection.   

The Classic Hican Varieties

Bixby Hican   [Missouri 1930]             Duis 1936        Girardi 1940

“So called temporarily, right name unknown, very large” [Duis]

“This new and remarkable hybrid is so nearly identical in foliage growth and nut with the McAllister it is often taken for it.  We like it because the nut is slightly shorter,    making it to appear better filled, although kernels ar eht same size.  Probably a better    bearer.  Size of nut 2 inches long and 1 ¼ inches wide. “ [Hershey 1940]

Burlington Hican [Burlington Iowa, 1915]     Riehl 1937       Scarff 1938     Girardi 1940

“These trees are natural crosses between pecans and hickory. Tree a rapid grower and   ornamental. It will succeed under neglect where most trees fail. The nuts are large, long, a good cracker and very high quality.” [Scarff]

Burton Hican   [Owensboro, KY 1890s]          Illinois 1975

“Pecan x Shagbark cross.” 1937 USDA Nut manual. 

“Self fertile and pretty prolific producer of medium size hickory flavored buttery pecan nuts , produces after 7-10 years. Nuts drop free of husks.” [Warwickshire Walnuts]

Clarkville Hican [Missouri 1890s]      Girardi 1940    Bountiful Ridge Nursery 1960

“Pecan X Shellbark Hickory. Trees grow with great vigor, symmetry and beauty, Foliage is dark green, makes a beautiful ornamental tree as well as producing high quality nuts  which are thin shelled and fine flavored. Trees are hardy in northern areas.” [Bountiful]

Des Moines Hican                              Riehl 1937       Illinois 1975

Dintelman Hican [Fayetteville IL]      Riehl 1937       Girardi 1940

Fairbanks Hican                                  Riehl 1937

Gerardi Hican [Damiansville, Il 1930]    Duis 1936        Riehl 1937       Bountiful 1960

“Large and fine, Much in Demand” [Duis]

“Tree grows very much like the Clarksville and is hardy in Northern areas. Nuts are often 2 inches long and about 3/4s of an inch in diameter and very fine flavored with good   cracking qualities.” [Bountiful Ridge Nurseries]

Henke Hican                             Illlinois 1975

Jay Underwood Hican             Illinois 1975

McAllister Hican [Kentucky]   Hershey 1935  Duis 1936        Gillet 1936  Riehl 1937     Bush 1940

“Monster for size, nut nearly three inches long, shade.” [Duis]

“Pecan X Shellbark Hybrid, Lacinioca x Olivieformis, The remarkable rapid growth and ornamental foliage, with its enormous thin-shelled nut, 2 ¼ x 1 ¼ inches and 3 7/8 inches in circumference is making the tree in great demand.” [Hershey]

Marquadt Hican [Illinois]       Whitford 1932             Gillet 1936      Jones 1938

“Shellbark x pecan”  Partly self-fertile.  Large nuts.” 

Nussbaumer Hican  [Fayetteville IL 1870]     Duis 1936

“Lost 40 years, rediscovered by me, large” [Duis]

Pleas Hican [Oklahoma]         Hershey 1935  Riehl 1937       Jones 1938      Rayner’s 1963

“Pecan X Bitternut Hybrid, Olivieformis x Cordiformis, A very beautiful tree with yellow   buds, nuts the size of a good-sized northern pecan and an excellent cracker. Don’t miss   planting some.  Because of its hickory parent, it is specially adapted to northern planting. Is bearing in many sections of the North. Grows as rapidly as the Maple. “    [Hershey]

“The excellent Pleas variety will make good growth in most of the northern states and   rapidly develops into a magnificent shade tree.  The nuts are shaped more like hickory nut than a pecan but are of very large size.  They are very meaty and have excellent        flavor.” [Rayner]

Rockville Hican [Missouri 1890s]      Riehl 1925       Girardi 1940

“Good nut for this section.  Large size, good quality; thin shell.” [Riehl]

Wright Hican              Hershey 1935

“Pecan X Shellbark Hybrid,” Laciniosa x Olivieformis, This remarkable hybrid is a most rapid grower. Mother tree standing near Sumner, MO, is reported a good bearer. Nut  large as a southern pecan and looks like a pecan. Flavor high and different than anything  else I have ever tasted.” [Hershey—“My Introduction”]