Hican
Encyclopedia
A Hican is a tree resulting from a cross between a pecan
and some other type of hickory
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.
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.
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
and some other type of hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
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.
An older hican variety, "James" (C. Illinoiensis
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
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
Burton (nut)
Burton is a type of nut in the Hican family, a cross between hickory and pecan cultivars. The nut is one of the better tasting hicans, it is round and thin in shape and has a seedling called a Dooley....
, which is round and thin in shape.