Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata
Family Juglandaceae

Characteristics:
* Leaves opposite compound, 8-14",with 5-7 hairless leaflets; tufts of hair on leaflet teeth are visible under a lens and are a distinguishing mark of the species.
* Buds covered with scales.
* Twigs stout, red-brown, hairy or shiny.
* Bark shaggy, light-colored.
* Nut egg-shaped, edible, 1 3/8-3" long, with a yellowish husk that splits to the base.
* Height: 60-90'.

Natural History:
* Habitat: Mature woodlands, fencerows.
* Range: Southern Canada and the eastern half of the United States.
* Native.

Connections!
* Hickory wood, now relatively rare, burns extremely well, and great amounts of it were used by the American pioneers to heat their homes. The aroma of burning green hickory wood has long been used to give smoked hams and cheeses their distinctive flavor. Where did you think Hickory Farms got its name?

* President Andrew Jackson, for his toughness as a general in the War of 1812, was given the sobriquet "Old Hickory" by his men. Today, his grave lies under six shagbark hickories.

* The photo at right comes from Donald Peattie's 1950 A Natural History of Trees, page 137.