Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory. The genus includes 17–19 species of trees with big nuts.

The rare combination of strength, toughness, hardness, and stiffness found in hickory wood is not found in any other commercial wood.

It is used for making tool handles, bows, wheel spokes, carts, drumsticks, golf club, bottom of skis, walking sticks, paddles and base ball bats.

Hickory is also highly prized for its high energy content. Hickory wood is popular for cooking barbecue and adds flavor to the meat.

Hickory is sometimes used for wood flooring due to its durability and character.

An extract from shagbark hickory is used to make a
syrup with a slightly bitter, smoky taste.
The nuts of some species are palatable, while others are bitter and suitable for animal feed.

Shagbark , shellbark hickory and Pecan are the finest nut trees.
When cultivated for their nuts, clonal (grafted) trees of the same cultivar cannot pollinate each other because of their self-incompatibility.

Two or more cultivars must be planted together for successful pollination.