Common Name: Shagbark Hickory
Scientific Name: Carya ovata
Family: Juglandaceae
Origin: Eastern North America
The shagbark hickory is a large tree that grows to heights of around 70-90 feet. Its crown appears oval-rounded in shape. The leaves are yellow green with more yellow being concentrated along the veins. The entire leaf usually has a really bright green to yellow coloration in the fall. Leaves are odd pinnately compound with around 5 leaflets. Each leaflet ranges in size from 3-7 inches with very finely toothed and pointed margins. The tree is monoecious and grows imperfect flowers, meaning that the same tree contains both male and female organs, but in separate flowers. The flowers form from April-May. Female flowers grow short spikes and male flowers are pendulous catkins (which are tightly clustered, same sex flowers that mostly lack petals and are usually wind pollinated), around 3-5 inches long. The nuts lie inside a husk that splits open in the fall revealing 4 distinct chambers. The nuts of this tree were utilized by Native Americans as food. These nuts are also very valuable to wildlife as a food source. Wood from this tree is attractive for its use in curing and smoking meats.