Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata (Mill.) K. Koch
Upland hickory
Occurs from southern Ontario along the St. Lawrence River into Quebec.
Leaves:
5 (sometimes 7) leaflets on a central stalk, 15-25 cm long.
Leaflets are widest at the middle, pointed at both ends, finely toothed with 2-3 tufts of hairs per tooth.
Upper surface is yellowish-green, paler and sparsely hairy beneath.
Buds:
Terminal bud ovoid, 12-18 mm long, blunt-pointed, greenish-brown.
4-6 overlapping scales, outer ones loosely spreading and often broken, inner ones densely hairy.
Lateral buds diverge from the twig.
Twigs:
Stout, shiny, reddish-brown to grayish-brown.
Fruits:
Almost globular, 3-5 cm long, wider than long, solitary or in pairs.
Husk is thick, woody, splitting to the base when ripe.
Shell of nut is thin and hard.
Kernel is sweet and edible.
Bark:
Dark gray; with age, it separates into long plates, free at their lower ends or both ends, giving the trunk a shaggy appearance.
Size and Form:
Medium-sized trees, up to 25 m high, 60 cm in diameter, and can live up to 200 years.
Trunk is straight, slender, and spreads at the base, often branch-free for three-quarters of its length.
Crown is composed of short, ascending, spreading branches, widening at the top to become almost flattened.
Habitat:
Occurs on rich, moist soils, on hillsides and in valleys.
Mixed with other broadleaf trees.
Notes:
Main source of edible hickory nuts and an important food for squirrels.
Considered the best quality hickory wood.
Isolated stands near Lake Huron and Georgian Bay may have been started by native people.
Quick Recognition:
5 leaflets, edges toothed with tufts of hairs.
Large buds with loose overlapping scales.
Nuts are large, thin-shelled with husks splitting to the base.
Bark in long, loose plates.