Shagbark hickory is a medium-sized to large tree with a crown 2–4 times longer than broad and shaggy bark. Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. president and Major General during the War of 1812, was nicknamed “Old Hickory” because he was considered to be as tough as a hickory tree. As the leaflets dry, they turn rusty brown on the tips and edges. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Hickory wood is a favorite for smoking hams, imparting a subtle, exquisite flavor. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground. 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. Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is native to most of Iowa east to the Des Moines River in Humboldt county, the Raccoon River in Sac County, the Boyer River in Harrison county and the Missouri River in Harrison county although is scattered and rare along the western edge of its range. Wildlife Habitat Programs and Consultation. The crevices formed by shagbark hickory's thick, peeling bark provide summer shelter for some bats, notably the endangered Indiana bat. Hickory is also prized for its aromatic wood, which burns long with little or no smoke and is used to produce high-quality charcoal.
Female flowers, which give rise to fruit, form in spikes. Shagbark hickory is a medium-sized to large tree with a crown 2–4 times longer than broad and shaggy bark. Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world, Inspire a lifelong connection with wildlife and wild places through our children's publications, products, and activities, National Wildlife Federation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It’s easy to see how shagbark hickories got their name—their trunks are characterized by long, peeling strips of bark. Anywhere, any time. The nuts of these trees are edible and very popular around the world.
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. Flowers emerge in mid-spring. One relatively minor but important use is for smoking meats including ham and bacon because of the excellent favor the smoke gives these meats. 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. It is a desirable landscape plant because of its relatively long life (200-300 years) and good resistance to both insects and diseases. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. The trees have a number of commercial uses. The tallest measured shagbark, located in Savage Gulf, Tennessee, is over 150 ft (46 m) tall. Shagbark Hickory … They can live as long as 200 years. Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is probably the most distinctive of all the hickories because of its loose-plated bark. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Hickory lumber is strong and shock-resistant, which makes it a great option for making tool handles, ladder rungs, athletic equipment, furniture, and flooring. They are used by several species of wildlife including squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, turkeys, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, bluejays, and nuthatches. 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." The leaves are alternately arranged on twigs, compound with 5 to 7 leaflets, 8-16 inches in length, and have finely toothed margins. More than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. It is consumed by humans as well as various animals. There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. Occurs in bottomland forests in valleys along streams and in upland forests on slopes and ridges. Common names include shellbark hickory, scalybark hickory, shagbark, and upland hickory. Shagbark Hickory. Ames, IA 50011, Iowa State University | PoliciesState & National Extension Partners. Shagbark hickory has not been used extensively for landscape applications, primarily because of its relatively slow growth rate and difficulty in transplanting. 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. Some have contended that Missouri ought to be famous for the top-rate charcoal we produce, in large part from our many hickories. Twigs are stout, brown and hairy when young, becoming gray and smooth; pores pale and elongated. Leaves: Alternate, compound with five to nine leaflets, Seed Dispersal Dates: September - December, Seed Stratification: Prechill for 5 months at 34°F to 40°F, Shagbark Hickory Fruit - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University. Shagbark_Hickory_Jefferson_Barracks_National_Cemetery_10-21-20.jpg, Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants. Shagbark Hickory Twig - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Female Shagbark Hickory Flowers - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Male Shagbark Hickory Catkins - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, ISU Extension and Outreach 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. One other major use of hickory in Iowa is for firewood. They emerge in spring with the leaves.
Hickory is cultivated for its sweet, edible nuts, which have been prized as long as humans have lived on this continent. Shagbark hickory is the prime wood for tool handles because of its exceptional strength and shock resistance. Squirrels also eat the buds.
