Hickory Rooted Returns (2025 update)
The 2025 season is upon us.
Updated 10/12/25
The yellowbud hickory (carya cordiformis) is again offering us its gifts. Yellowbud nuts are falling in abundance here in central Maryland. Later this year, we will gather to turn these nuts into a delicious, buttery hickory oil. It’s a gift economy experiment we call Hickory Rooted.
If you live anywhere within this (mid-Atlantic) region, you probably have yellowbuds near you too. For leads, try looking in the Falling Fruit app, iNaturalist, or your state’s “Big Trees” group (here is Maryland’s). The best indicator of ripeness, I’ve noticed, is when the husk peels off easily (or already has).
Pull the husk off any nuts you find and spread them out to dry. An indoor, conditioned space is ideal, because it likely has low humidity.
Then bring your nuts to our Wild Harvest Gatherings at the REED Center.
When: Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 16, from 10am to 1pm
Where: The REED Center located at 1932 Mountain Church Road in Middletown, Maryland.
Wild Potomac and the REED Center offer use of the space and the benefits of our commercial oil press as gifts to the community. The oil we make from your nuts is yours to keep, and your return gift to us can be as much or as little as feels right to you.
If you plan to join us, let us know at info@wildpotomac.org.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What nuts should I bring?
For the Hickory Rooted project, you should only bring yellowbud, aka bitternut, hickory nuts (carya cordiformis). (You can also bring other foraged foods for processing together at the Wild Harvest Gathering.)
What will we do with the nuts?
We will turn your nuts into oil, which is yours to keep.
When should I bring nuts?
You can drop off your nuts with us at our Wild Harvest Gatherings taking place on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 16, from 10am to 1pm. We plan to press the nuts into oil within a few weeks and then will be in touch to tell you how you can pick it up.
Where should I bring nuts?
The REED Center is located at 1932 Mountain Church Road in Middletown, Maryland. After you enter the property, follow signs to find parking and the lower barn where we will be working.
What else should I bring?
The barn is not heated, so wear warm layers if the day is cold. If you’d like to eat lunch with us, bring a potluck item to share.
Why yellowbud hickory nuts?
Yellowbud hickories are an abundant and untapped wild food source in our region. Although the nut is high in tannins and bitter to the taste, the bitter tannins stay behind when the dried nut is pressed for oil. The result is a tasty, versatile cooking oil high in healthy fats.
How do I identify yellowbud hickory trees?
As their name implies, yellowbud hickories have distinctive yellow buds in spring. During warmer months and into the fall, they have alternate leaves with 7-11 lance-shaped leaflets. Their bark is gray and rough, but smoother than most other hickories. The oval-shaped nuts, at least a few of which can usually be found near the trees throughout the year, are smaller than the nuts of most other hickories. The nuts have a thin husk with 4 ribs that begin at one end and stop in the middle of the husk. Ripe yellowbud nuts tend to drop between late September and mid-November.
Where can I find yellowbud hickory nuts?
Yellowbuds are one of the most common hickories in our region. Download the Falling Fruit app to give and receive information on where to find yellowbud trees where foraging is allowed.
What is a gift economy?
A gift economy is a way to exchange resources and meet needs through giving and receiving in community. In contrast to a market economy, no prices are charged in a gift economy. A gift economy relies instead on the innate desire of those who have received to give in return.
What should I give as a return gift?
We trust you to give the return gift that feels right to you in the circumstances. If it feels right to give nothing in return, that’s ok. (Really!) And if you feel motivated to give generously in return, we hope you trust that feeling too. Both money and a portion of your pressed hickory oil are welcome return gifts.
For anyone who wants the guidance of more information, Wild Potomac and the REED Center are collectively incurring significant costs in both time and money to make the Hickory Rooted Project possible. Some similar processing operations charge a price equal to ½ the value of the finished product. Yellowbud hickory oil retails for about $65 per quart. Results vary, but 5 gallons of good-quality, cured nuts will typically yield around ½ gallon (2 quarts) of oil.