Hickory & Hican Pollination: Protandrous (type 1) / Protogynous (type 2)

Carya laciniosa ‘Selbhers’ / Shellbark hickory cultivar

Flowering: Type 1, Protandrous.

Please add to this topic, thanks.

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Fred Blankenship called me yesterday to report that he thinks that my suspicion that Garnett shellbark was probably self-pollenizing was correct, as it has catkins and nutlet flowers out at the same time. He added that Mitch Russell (shag x shell hybrid) has the same bloom pattern, and he thinks Scholl, also.

General rule, if it has both male and female blooms at the same time and the male flowers completely overlap the female, it is protandrous. The genetic reason is that protogynous bloom habit almost always prevents complete overlap of pollen shed with pistillate receptivity.

From Fred Blankenship:

Carya laciniosa ‘Henning’ (Shellbark) Protandrous with Full Overlapping Flowers
Carya ovata ‘Simpson #1 (Shagbark) Protandrous / Type 1
Carya ovata ‘BBG #1 / ‘Bernheim Blankenship Grainger #1’ (Shagbark) Protandrous / Type 1
Carya ovata ‘BBG #5 / ‘Bertnheim Blankenship Grainger #5’ (Shagbark) Protandrous with Full Overlapping Flowers

Edit: thanks, Darrel.

That demonstrates protandrous with full overlap for Henning.

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Carya laciniosa ‘Grandview’ (Shellbark) Protogynous / Type 2

Grandview - is an older cultivar chosen for early pollen shed and precociousness (early to fruit) - both of which are well sought after traits.

Grandview does not have well sought after cracking (qualities).

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‘T-92’ (Hican) Protogynous / Type 2
Here are photos of the catkins and pistillate flowers on the same day. It appears that the catkins are not yet producing pollen, but the pistillate flowers are receptive.


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Long skinny catkins are also an indicator of a protogynous tree.

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