Hickory have bracts around the new growth that looks like a flower, but isn’t.

Thank you, macranthos!

that is a compound LEAF.. so one of those stems it is one leaf .. go figure on that ..

and if you look down.. that is why you will see all those dead stems from last year... littering the soil.. unless you rakes them all away..

stems is probably not the right science word.. im using it descriptively...

ken

I'll be looking for hickory nuts next fall! Thank you, ken.