The Shagbark Hickory is a large deciduous tree that is native to eastern and central USA and parts of Canada. It is found in NC mainly in the Piedmont area, but sporadically in the mountains and coastal areas. It may grow 70 to 90 feet tall with a 50-70 feet spread. The bark of older trees has a shaggy appearance that provides winter interest in the landscape. The trunk may mature to 2-3 feet in diameter. The nuts produced are valued by wildlife and are sold commercially for humans. The wood has multiple uses including curing meat. It may take 40 years for this tree to produce nuts but it lives for 200-300 years of age. This tree is adaptable to both sandy and clay loams and prefers fertile, deep, soil that is well-drained. It grows in both full sun and part shade and is drought tolerant once established. The deep taproot makes it difficult to transplant. Large trees like the shagbark hickory can produce ample litter through dropped leaves and fruit so choose its planting location accordingly. Use as a shade tree for a large yard, in a park or naturalized area. This hickory serves as a host plant for Hickory horndevil ( Citheronia regalis ) and Luna ( Actias luna ) moths as well as the Banded hairstreak ( Satyrium calanus ) butterfly. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Occasionally the hickory bark beetle, pecan weevil, and twig girdler can be a problem. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗Reconciled to full toolbox: matched by slug to slug 'carya-ovata'. Identity (id/common/scientific name) preserved from the original 87-plant Hunnicutt set; attribute data refreshed from the 75-attribute toolbox scrape.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
24-60 feet; more than 60 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 70 ft. 0 in. - 90 ft. 0 in. | Width: 50 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Irregular; Oval; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The compound leaves are 8-14 inches long, alternate, medium yellow-green, odd-pinnate. Each has 5-7 finely-toothed, broadly lance-shaped, pointed leaflets. Leaflets range from 3-7 inches long and 1-3 inches wide. The terminal leaflet is the largest. Undersides are pale green and may have a few hairs along the veins. The fall color is yellow to a golden brown.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower form
Catkin; Insignificant
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Non-showy, monoecious greenish-yellow flowers appear in May. The male flowers in 3-5 inch pendulous catkins and the female flowers in short spikes.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Nut
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The round fruit is a 4 parted husk that is 1½-2" long and wide. It is green maturing to deep brown and splits open when the nut is mature. The nut of each fruit is light tan, oval, and somewhat compressed. The meat is edible and sweet. Displays in October.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Bark detail
The bark on young trees is scaly. As the tree ages, narrow, flat plates 1- 3 foot long develop and begin to separate and curve away from the trunk, giving it a shaggy appearance.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
The twigs are stout, light gray, light brown, or reddish-brown with scattered white lenticels. Grayish-brown terminal bud is covered with 3-4 loose pubescent scales.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
E. Canada to Central & E. U.S.A. and NE. Mexico
Distribution
USA: AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV Canada: ON, QC
Wildlife value
Host plant for Banded Hairstreak butterfly and many moths including the Luna moth. The nuts are eaten by a variety of wildlife such as squirrels, chipmunks, and black bears. Moderately resistant to deer. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Edible fruit; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Nuts
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Nut
Edibility
Nuts are edible and sweet.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Used as fuelwood, charcoal, furniture, flooring, tool handles, ladder rungs, dowels, athletic good and gymnasium equipment. Wood is used to cure meats.