Range
True hickories, as a group, occur from central Maine and Ontario south through the eastern U. S. to Mexico.
Uses

The main use hickory today is in furniture, both in the form of lumber and veneer. It's also found in kitchen cabinets and architectural trim, paneling, and cabinetry.
Characteristics

The wood of hickories is rated as strong, still, very hard, heavy, and wry high in shock resistance. It rates somewhat above white oak, sugar maple, and white ash in strength and other mechanical properties. Hickory are difficult to work with machines. Hickory can be glued satisfactorily, but requires close control of gluing conditions to obtain best results Lumber and veneer have good finishing qualities and have a warm, appealing appearance. Hickory may be considered moderately difficult to dry and require 7-15 days in the kiln to dry 1-inch lumber from green to 6 percent moisture content.

 

(RS Boone, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry)