This species is a widespread tree across eastern North America, although concentrated in less disturbed woods on mesic sites with medium-acid soils. It does not extend much west of Lake Michigan, the Wabash River, Shawnee Hills, Ouachita Mts., lower Mississippi Valley and Big Thicket of e. Texas (Little 1971, K). F. grandifolia is a late-successional tree that is sensitive to droughts and fires, but generally avoided by deer. Nut-crops tend to occur at intervals of several years, but blue jays and perhaps other animals can disperse them up to 4 km or more (Johnson & Adkisson 1985). Most or all material from Ky. matches the common variant of southeastern states known as var. caroliniana (Loud.) Fern. & Rehd. But that taxon intergrades with the more northern and montane var. grandifolia, and it is not recognized in some recent treatments; see FNA 3 and W for contrasting discussion.