This "bitternut" is a widespread eastern tree, concentrated on more mesic, fertile soils than most other hickories. In Ky. there are rare apparent hybrids with ovata, glabra and perhaps other species. Fruits of cordiformis, like aquatica and illinoinensis, have narrow wings along the sutures; such wings are generally absent in other species of the genus, but glabra and pallida sometimes have obscure wings. Within early documents from Ky., names for this species included "white hickory" (e.g. by early land surveys of the central Bluegrass; Shaler 1884) or "pignut hickory" (e.g. by Short 1828-29). In the central Bluegrass, Short noted: "Carya porcina (Pig-Nut Hickory, brown hickory). It is in every respect the least valuable of the family, the wood being not fitted for useful application to the arts, less valuable as fuel; and the nut unfit to eat in consequence of its bitterness and astringency. Young trees of this kind are, however, more common around Lexington than any other Hickory." Nuts are indeed among the most bitter in the genus and squirrels may have low preference for them until the colder months; although some consumption of immature nuts can occur during Jul-Aug. Rodents in general do seek the nuts avidly during fall to winter, and beavers do eat the bark of trees (e.g. Barnes & Dibble 1988). Nuts may be relatively free of weevils, based on casual observations in Ky. The state champion is on Airdrie Farm in WOOD (KDF 2020): 94 cm dbh, 36 m tall, 17 m wide.