Water hickory trees as the name implies grow and reproduce vigorously wet areas of the coastal plains of the Atlantic and Gulf as far west as Texas. They are also found in the Mississippi valley as far north as Illinois.
Timber value is very low.
Water hickory are easily confused with pecan. Their fruits are an easy way to tell the two apart though. Water hickory nuts flattened whereas the nuts of a pecan are round crossectionally.
Water hickory nuts are eaten by wild hogs, wood ducks and squirrels.