Our Tree of the Month – October 2025!

Shagbark Hickory

Carya ovata

by Martin (Mort) Schmidt

for Simply Living

Everyone recognizes Shagbark Hickory – or so they think! This interesting and useful tree has a common look-alike. 

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata), has five pinnately-compound leaflets, i.e., five blades that share a stem and are attached to it at different points along its length. Palmately-compound leaves have multiple blades attached at the same point on a shared stem. 

Shagbark Hickory (hereafter, “Shagbark”) leaves and branches are alternately attached, and are not directly across from each other. (The native Ohio trees with opposite branching are the “MADBucks” – Maple, Ash, Dogwood, and Buckeye). Notice, however, that while the Shagbark leaves and branches are alternate, the leaflets are opposite one another. In the case of compound leaves, alternate versus opposite applies to whole leaves, not individual leaflets, so Shagbark is regarded as an alternate tree. 

Shagbark leaflets are oval, but generally widest near the tip, making them obovate. Leaflets are 8 to 14 inches long, have visible teeth, and have little or no stem attaching them to the shared stem. Notice, also, that Shagbark’s terminal (end) leaflet is typically much larger than the others. 

Shagbark leaves are nearly identical to Shellbark Hickory (Carya laciniosa, aka Kingnut Hickory), except that Shellbark leaves have 7 leaflets. (Some older texts even call Shagbark “Shellbark”, and they call Shellbark “Big Shellbark”). Shagbark leaves can also resemble those of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), but Pawpaw leaves are simple (not attached in groups of 3, 5, 7, etc.) and lack teeth. Shagbark leaves are deciduous and turn brown in winter. 

Shagbark flowers consist of long, green catkins. Because they emerge before the appearance of pollinating insects, the flowers are wind pollinated, and have no need for bright colors or sweet fragrances. The trees are monoecious, having male and female flowers on the same tree. The flowers develop into fruits 1.25 to 2.5 inches long and nearly spherical. The fruit consists of a pair of brain-shaped nutmeats, similar to Pecan or walnut meats. In fact, the Pecan is a hickory, and the Shagbark nut is its equal for flavor. Unfortunately, the Shagbark nutmeat is far smaller, with a hard, woody shell surrounding it, and a thick, hard, 4-part husk surrounding that. Consequently, Shagbarks provide too little nutmeat to compete with Pecans in the marketplace. Shagbarks also produce good crops only every 3 to 5 years. (Incidentally, the similarity of walnut fruits to hickories is the reason they’re all in the family Juglandaceae). 

Shagbark and Shellbark nuts are very similar, except that Shellbark nuts are twice the size, hence another common name, “Kingnut”. Shagbarks start to produce nuts in quantity around age 40, and continue until around 200. Shagbark Hickory reproduces primarily by seed, but in the event of damage through cutting or fire, trees under 8 inches in diameter produce abundant sprouts. 

And of course, Shagbark Hickory is easily recognized by its bark, which breaks into narrow strips that come loose at their bottoms and tops. This is where Shagbark and Shellbark are most often confused, because Shellbark Hickory is also shaggy, but typically a bit less so. Honeylocust and Silver Maple bark also break into narrow strips, but they do not come loose at the tops and bottoms. 

Mature Shagbark Hickories typically have a height of 70 to 100 feet and a trunk diameter of approximately 2.5 feet. Ohio’s Champion Shagbark, located in Geauga County, has a height of 110 feet, a trunk diameter of 3.3 feet, and a crown width of 91 feet. 

ID Summary: Dark bark that breaks into narrow strips that are loose at the bottoms and tops.  Pinnately-compound leaves with 5 obovate, toothed leaves. Pecan-like nuts with outer husks that break into 4 segments. 

Similar Trees: Shellbark Hickory, which has 7 leaflets and larger, tangerine-sized nuts. Shagbark and Shellbark can hybridize, so the differences might not be distinct. 

Shagbark Hickory prefers moist soil, but can tolerate dryer soils, once established, due to its long taproot. It prefers partial to full sun. Shagbark is native to Ohio, and is found in most of the eastern U.S., except for the southern coastal areas and the far northeastern states. Shagbark prefers somewhat rich soil that is moderate to slightly acidic. The USDA Sylvics of North America indicates that, “Through most of its range, shagbark hickory is associated with oaks, other hickories, and various mixed upland hardwoods.” 

The range map in Lucy Braun’s The Woody Plants of Ohio indicates that Shagbark is found in all but three Ohio counties. They are in the western part of Ohio, perhaps because of the predominantly limestone and dolomite bedrock, and therefore, alkaline soil. 

The Columbus, Ohio Street Tree Inventory indicates that Shagbark Hickory is not among the 80 most common trees in the city, but it recommends Shagbark as a tree that should be planted more. 

Shagbark Hickory lumber has a Janka hardness of 1,880 lbf and a density of 0.80 g/cc, according to the Wood Database, compared to the median of my list of 73 Ohio trees of 1,075 lbf and 0.64 g/cc. The hickories are famous for their hardness and shock resistance, which together with their long grain, makes hickory ideal for hammer and axe handles. Oaks and ashes are similarly long-grained and shock-resistant, with ash the softest and lightest of the three, and oak in between the two. Consequently, ash is better suited for larger items, such as shovel handles and baseball bats, which require somewhat less shock resistance and lower weight. (A notable exception being Babe Ruth, whose hickory bat is on display at the Louisville Slugger factory and museum in Louisville, Kentucky). The hickories are unusual in that their more valuable lumber is normally the sapwood, i.e., the outer, living wood. In most species, the inner, no-longer-living heartwood is preferred. For example, the valuable dark lumber from Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) is heartwood. The nearly white, outer sapwood is destined to be firewood, pallets, or low-cost pieces of furniture. Shagbark Hickory grows quickly by hickory standards, but slowly relative to most other hardwoods, which limits its value as a lumber crop. The USDA Silvics Manual indicates that in the Ohio Valley, it takes approximately 100 years for a Shagbark to reach a diameter of 2 feet at breast height. 

Shagbark Hickory, like other hickories, has low durability (rot resistance) and is not suitable for outdoor use. Hickory glues, stains, and finishes well, and responds well to steam bending, but its extreme hardness makes it hard to work with, especially using hand tools. Hickory is also porous, making it less suitable for kitchenware, such as rolling pins, cutting boards, and cookie presses. Hickory’s hardness makes it excellent for flooring. It’s also used for cabinetry and furniture. Hickory’s hardness and straight grain make it an excellent firewood with high heat value. 

Historically, hickory, but especially the true hickories (which exclude Bitternut Hickory and Pecan), was also used for ladder rungs and wheel spokes. Hickory’s shock-resistance, springiness, and long grain also made it useful for sporting goods, such as snow skis, snow shoes, lacrosse sticks, and archery bows. Hickory’s strength and flexibility also made it an affordable, readily-available material for barrel hoops. And the evolution of automobiles from horse carriages made hickory a natural choice for early car chassis. Pioneers also used the inner bark to make a yellow dye. 

Hickory wood is also popular for smoking foods. And finally, besides having a tasty nut, Shagbark Hickory can be tapped, and the sap boiled down to make a sweet syrup.

The Natives consumed Shagbark Hickory nuts throughout their range. According to the Native American Ethnobotany Database, the Natives also used Carya ovata for the following applications: 

• Chippewa – Small shoots steamed for an analgesic, wood for bows, 
• Dakota – Sap for syrup, 
• Delaware – Bark infusion as a gynecological aid, 
• Iroquois – Inner bark to remove worms, nut oil used as hair tonic, nut oil used to keep off mosquitoes, 
• Ojibwa – Hunting bows. They split the wood and oriented it so that the inner heartwood made up the front of the bow and the outer sapwood made up the back, 
• Omaha – Wood for snowshoe frames, sap for sugar, 
• Pawnee – Sap for making sugar, 
• Winnebago – Sap used for sugar.

Shagbark Hickory nuts are an important food source for squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, and bears. According to Illinois Wildflowers, some of the larger birds also eat hickory nuts, including ring-necked pheasants, wild turkeys, crows, blue jays, and woodpeckers. These birds also play an important role in dispersing the seeds. Deer, elk, and rabbits browse on Shagbark twigs and foliage. 

Numerous insects feed on hickories, including Shagbark. They include wood-boring beetles, aphids, leafhoppers, thrips, and sawflies. Moth larvae dependent on hickories include leaf blotch miners, owlets, and Tortix. Illinois Wildflowers indicates that several moths – the angus underwing, Judith underwing, and residual underwing are believed to feed exclusively on Shagbark. And because hickories attract so many insects, they attract many birds that eat them, including flycatchers, vireos, warblers, tanagers, and others. Additionally, the loose bark serves as a nesting place for many insects and, perhaps, bats. 

According to the Dragon Oak website, hickory has masculine energy, and was sacred to the Celtic god Lugh and the Greek god Apollo. They recommend using a hickory wand in magic that seeks direction, abundance, and wholesomeness, and it’s useful for developing leadership skills. 

Indeed, Hickory has long been associated with toughness and resilience. The seventh president, Andrew Jackson was nicknamed “Old Hickory” for his toughness and persistence, and hickory trees were planted at his gravesite in testimony to his strength. 

You can also listen to my talks on Ohio Broadleaf Tree Identification on YouTube, Part 1 and Part 2.