Shagbark Hickory

Biological Name:

Carya ovata (Shagbark-Hickory)

Natural Habitat:

Shagbark-Hickory: Woodlands, North America

Description:

Shagbark-Hickory also known as Carya is a plant that is native to forested areas of North America. It is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 100 feet tall and it has large compound leaves and small yellowish flowers that bloom in the spring. The plant is known for its shaggy bark which peels off in long strips and it is often used in the production of wood products such as furniture and flooring.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How fast does shagbark hickory grow?
A: Growth Rate. This tree grows at a slow rate, with height increases of less than 12″ per year.”
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Q: Is shagbark hickory worth money?
A: Commercial value Mature Shagbark Hickory trees are valuable from nut production, lumber, or even just firewood. Growing these trees is a long term investment that can pay off for future generations.
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Q: Do deer eat shagbark hickory trees?
A: No, they don’t, especially shag bark or mocker nuts. Hickory nuts have hard shells, which will be tough to crack for them. Some growers state that they have seen deer eating pignut hickory and bitter hickory.
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Q: Is a shagbark hickory a good tree?
A: Shagbark hickories are stable. Several diseases and pests, including canker rot fungus and hickory bark beetles, attack shagbark hickories. The trees have a number of commercial uses. The wood is excellent for burning, and it’s used to produce flavorful food like hickory-smoked bacon.
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Q: How far apart should you plant shagbark hickory trees?
A: Plant Type:Deciduous treeFlower/Foliage Color:Spacing:30-50 feetCompanion Planting:Planting Depth:3/4-1.5 inches (seed), deep enough to fit taproot system (transplants)Avoid Planting With:Height:50-100 feet, depending on speciesUses:Spread:30-75 feet, depending on speciesOrder:
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Q: Do shagbark hickory trees have deep roots?
A: The root system has a deep taproot with spreading lateral roots. Cultivation: Shagbark Hickory prefers full or partial sun, mesic conditions, and deep loam or clay-loam. Conditions that are either moist (but well-drained) or dry-mesic are readily tolerated.
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Q: Do shagbark hickory trees produce nuts every year?
A: Once a shagbark hickory tree is mature enough to produce fruit, it will produce nuts every 1-3 years, with no seeds in the intervals.
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Q: Do you need two hickory trees?
A: Hickory trees are grown best by planting seed or via transplanting. Either way, Carya species are monoecious and self-incompatible, so if harvesting hickory nuts is an eventual goal of yours, be sure to plant more than one so they can help each other bear fruit.
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Q: Is shagbark hickory fruit edible?
A: The shagbark hickory, Carya ovate, is one of the few indigenous nuts that the American Indians ate raw. And I can see why. When I eat a nut, plain and raw, there is usually a slightly bitter shell-like taste that nips at you at the end, subtle in some, stronger in others.
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Q: Is shagbark hickory valuable?
A: Commercial value Mature Shagbark Hickory trees are valuable from nut production, lumber, or even just firewood. Growing these trees is a long term investment that can pay off for future generations.
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Q: Is shagbark hickory rare?
A: Carya ovata, the shagbark hickory, is a common hickory in the Eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large, deciduous tree, growing well over 100 ft (30 m) tall, and can live more than 350 years.
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Q: What are shagbark hickory trees good for?
A: The trees have a number of commercial uses. The wood is excellent for burning, and it’s used to produce flavorful food like hickory-smoked bacon. Hickory lumber is strong and shock-resistant, which makes it a great option for making tool handles, ladder rungs, athletic equipment, furniture, and flooring.
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Q: What is the best tasting hickory?
A: The two tastiest and most important species of hickory are the shagbark and shellbark types, with shagbarks – so named for the shaggy bark that peels off the tree trunks in long, rough slabs – having a slight edge in flavor.
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Q: Can you smoke meat with shagbark hickory?
A: The Cherokee used the hickory wood ashes to cure pork. Infusing milk with shagbark hickory bark to make ice cream. Today, hickory is a common flavoring used to smoke or cure meats like ham. In smoking, the meat absorbs the hickory flavors from wet hickory chips or logs that are added to a fire in a chamber or smoker.
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Q: Can hickory nuts be eaten raw?
A: Hickory nuts can be eaten immediately, right out of the shell, or stored in a cool, dry place for many months. Pawcohiccora is a Native American porridge made out of the nuts of shagbark hickory trees and is where the word hickory originates.
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Q: Where does shagbark hickory grow?
A: Shagbark hickory is found throughout most of the Eastern United States from southeastern Nebraska and southeastern Minnesota through southern Ontario and southern Quebec to southern Maine, southward to Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and eastern Texas, and disjunctly in the mountains of northeastern Mexico.
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Q: What is a hickory tree good for?
A: At one time it was used significantly to make sporting goods like bats, tennis rackets, golf club shafts and skis. But that was before composite materials became the norm in those items. Today you will find hickory used to make many tool handles because it is very hard, very heavy, and very strong.
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Q: Do hickory trees fall easily?
A: The wood is famously tough and resistant, and the fall yellow leaf colors are outstanding. With their large taproots, hickory trees will not lift up sidewalks or blow over easily in wind storms.
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About the author

Samuel is a gardening professional and enthusiast who has spent over 20 years advising homeowners and farm owners on weed identification, prevention and removal. He has an undergraduate degree in plant and soil science from Michigan State University.