Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata
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Shagbark hickory grows throughout most of the eastern United States but is notably absent from the Gulf coastal plains and the lower Mississippi Delta. Isolated populations grow in the mountains of northeastern Mexico. It thrives in deep, rich, moist soils.
Fruit: A 5-6 cm wide (including husk) nut, borne singly or in clusters of 2-3 nuts. Fruit ripens in September or October, during which the husk splits into 4 pieces.
Flowers: Male flowers appear in long-stalked catkins. Female flowers appear in short terminal spikes. Flowers appear between late March to early July depending on the region, and open when leaves are nearly full grown.
Uses: The wood resists stress well, so it has been used in the past for wagon wheels and spokes and is currently used for furniture, tool handles, and sporting goods. It's also commonly used for fuel and smoking to impart a hickory-smoked flavor. Shagbark hickory has a potential for use on disturbed sites. It has been found to grow well in abandoned strip mines, lead pit mines, and streambanks. It's often planted as a shade tree or a specimen tree.
Ethnobotany: The nuts were once a staple food for Native Americans.
Importance to wildlife: Shagbark hickory isn't preferred for browse, but the fruit is eaten by many species of birds and mammals.
The young bark of a shagbark hickory. Bark is smooth at first but soons becomes shaggy.
The older bark of a shagbark hickory. Bark breaks loose in long strips that curl outwards at the end.
A single leaf on a shagbark hickory. Leaves can have 5-7 leaflets, but typically only have 5. The upper 3 leaflets are the largest.
A single leaflet on a shagbark hickory. Leaflets are 7-20 cm long, toothed, dark yellowish green above, pale yellowish green below, and glabrous except for tufts of hair on teeth.
The terminal bud of a shagbark hickory. Terminal buds are large and bluntly pointed with 3-4 visible scales. Outer scales are dark brown and short-hairy with tips that prolong into slender, rigid points.
The fruit of a shagbark hickory after half the husk has broken off. The husk of a shagbark hickory is very thick, but the seed itself is relatively small compared to that of a shellbark hickory.
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