A Native American tree, hickories are members of the walnut family. Hickory is the hardest, heaviest and strongest American wood in common use. Westward trekking pioneers allegedly made hickory a prerequisite for their wagon wheels. White to tan to reddish-brown with inconspicuous fine brown lines. Fine grain. Characteristics: Extremely tough and resilient, even texture, quite hard and only moderately heavy. The grain pattern welcomes a full range of medium-to-dark finishes and bleaching treatments.