Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Family: Walnut (Juglandaceae)

Flowering: April-May.

Field Marks: This hickory differs from all others by its shaggy bark and usually 5 leaflets per leaf.

Habitat: Woods, both moist and dry, along streams.

Habit: Tree up to 80 feet tall, with a rounded crown.

Bark: Gray, separating into long, shreddy scales, giving the trunk a shaggy appearance.

Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with 5, or sometimes 7 leaflets; the leaflets ovate or obovate, tapering to a short point at the tip, tapering to the base, finely toothed, smooth or hairy, up to 10 inches long, and up to 5 inches broad.

Flowers: Male and female flowers borne separately but on the same plant, appearing after the leaves have begun to unfold; the male flowers in slender, drooping spikes; the female flowers in clusters of 2-5.

Sepals: 4, minute.

Petals: 0.

Stamens: 3-10.

Pistils: Styles usually 4.

Fruits: Usually spherical, up to 2 inches across; the husk yellow-green to red-brown, up to 1/2 inch thick, splitting all the way to the base; the nut 4-angled.

Notes: The kernels of the nuts are extremely tasty.

Quercus michauxii: (Swamp Chestnut Oak or Basket Oak) 60ft; white oak with very large acorns; attractive flaking bark; moderately fast grower; excellent for wildlife. Indians used pliable bark for basket making. $4.00

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