Shagbark Hickory

Scientific Name

Carya ovata

Family

Juglandaceae (walnuts)

Description

Shagbark hickory is a medium-sized to large tree with a crown 2–4 times longer than broad and shaggy bark.

Leaves are alternate, feather-compound, 8–17 inches long; leaflets 3–5, lance- to pear-shaped, 4–7 inches long, the end leaflet stalked; upper 3 leaflets quite larger than lower 2; pointed at the tip, margins toothed with tufts of hairs along the outer edge of the teeth.

Bark is gray, separating into distinctive thick, long, shaggy strips, free at one end or both ends, curved outward.

Twigs are stout, brown and hairy when young, becoming gray and smooth; pores pale and elongated.

Flowers April–May; male and female flowers separate on the same tree. Male catkins in threes, 4–5 inches long, slender, green, hairy; female flowers 2–5, conical.

Fruits September–October, nuts single or in clusters up to 3, oval or round, 1¼–2 inches long; husk blackish- to reddish-brown, slightly depressed at the tip, splitting in 4 lines; nut light brownish-white, oval, somewhat flattened, with 4 ridges, aromatic.

Similar species: Shellbark hickory (big shagbark hickory; kingnut) (Carya lacinosa) is the largest of the true hickories (section Carya) and has the best-tasting hickory nuts in Missouri. It has shaggy bark, but compared to shagbark hickory, it has larger leaves and more leaflets, plus larger nuts and orange twigs. It grows scattered widely throughout the state but is absent from much of the Ozark division. It is found in the fertile bottomland soils of valleys along streams and in river floodplains, usually in partial sun. This species is becoming scarce because the rich, deep river bottom soils it grows in have been cleared to grow crops.

Size

Height: to 100 feet; spread: to 45 feet.

image of Shagbark Hickory distribution map

Statewide; the most common hickory north of the Missouri River.

Habitat and Conservation

Occurs in bottomland forests in valleys along streams and in upland forests on slopes and ridges. Over 75 varieties have been developed in cultivation, mostly for large, sweet, easy-to-crack nuts.

Status

Native Missouri deciduous tree. Economically important for wood and nuts.

Human Connections

Hickory is cultivated for its sweet, edible nuts, which have been prized as long as humans have lived on this continent.

Hickory milk: Explorer and naturalist William Bartram described how the Creek people gathered a "hundred bushels of these nuts in their towns," and how they pounded, boiled, and strained the nuts to obtain a "hickory milk," which he said was "as sweet and rich as fresh cream" and was used in Creek cooking, "especially homony and corn cakes." Hickory milk, or kanuchi in Cherokee, is something like the almond milk that people drink today. Look online for instructions for making hickory nut milk, which can be used in numerous ways (risotto, ice cream, soups and sauces, and so on).

The children of pioneers enjoyed social events called "nut cracks," where hickory nuts and walnuts were cracked, shelled, and eaten.

Collect nuts of shagbark and shellbark hickories in the fall. The squirrels will compete with you for these nuts. You can use the nuts in quick breads, pies, cookies, or any other recipe calling for nuts. Try making Hickory Nut Sandies. Other culinary ideas include hickory nut pie (like pecan pie, but with hickories), as a garnish on salads or soups, or as a component in rice pilafs. Some people make hickory syrup.

Hickory is also prized for its aromatic wood, which burns long with little or no smoke and is used to produce high-quality charcoal. Some have contended that Missouri ought to be famous for the top-rate charcoal we produce, in large part from our many hickories. Excellent barbecue, of course, requires excellent charcoal.

Hickory wood is a favorite for smoking hams, imparting a subtle, exquisite flavor. Missouri is known internationally for our excellent country-cured smoked hams.

The tough, impact-resistant wood is made into tool handles, athletic goods, agricultural implements, baskets, and at one time, wagons, wagon wheels, and the hinges of cabin doors.

General Andrew Jackson won the admiration of his backwoods troops by sharing with them their hard lot (sleeping on the ground, eating their meager fare); they called him "Old Hickory" for his toughness.

Ecosystem Connections

The nuts are eaten by squirrels, mice, and deer. Squirrels also eat the buds.

Like other hickories, its leaves are eaten by several species of large, showy moths. For example, the largest caterpillar in North America is the hickory horned devil, which few people see until late in the season when the mature caterpillars descend from the tree's high canopy and come to earth to pupate.

The crevices formed by shagbark hickory's thick, peeling bark provide summer shelter for some bats, notably the endangered Indiana myotis. The migratory silver-haired bat is another species that commonly finds shelter under loose tree bark such as shagbark hickory's.

Next time you see young shagbark hickories that still have smooth, tight bark, take a closer look at the trunk. You're almost guaranteed to see some pale gray or whitish patches on the surface, like splotches of spray paint. Look more closely, and you'll probably see squiggly, branching dark cracks on the splotch. The gray splotches are common script lichen, a crustose lichen that usually grows on shagbark hickories. The lichen doesn't hurt the tree, but it adds beauty and interest to the landscape. Once you are familiar with the look of common script lichen, it will be hard not to see it on the trunks of young shagbarks.