[header] How to identify hickory nuts [title] Look for a woody outer shell, or husk. [step] Hickory nut husks are light green throughout the younger stages of development, then change to a dark brown upon maturity, before falling from the hickory tree. .
[substeps] The texture of a hickory nutshell may be smooth, with minimal veining, or considerably irregular and furrowed. Husks split open at the base once the fruit (nut) inside has fully ripened, although some species partially encapsulate the hickory nut even after splitting.