Big Shellbark Hickory Carya laciniosa
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KAIR-yuh la-sin-ee-OH-suh
- Description
-
Shellbark hickory is a large deciduous tree in the walnut family (Juglandaceae) that occurs mainly in Ohio and upper Mississippi River valleys and is rare in NC. It is often found on low woods, bottomland, river floodplains and streambanks. The Genus name comes from the Greek word karya used for walnut trees. Specific epithet means shredded referring to the shaggy bark.
It grows slowly to 60 to 80 feet tall but can reach up to 100 feet with a narrow round to elliptical crown that spreads 40 to 6o feet. Plant in humus-rich loams or silt in medium to wet soils in full to part sun and can tolerate temporary flooding in the spring. Give it plenty of room to grow. The tree will hybridize with other pecan trees.
The large nuts are sweet and produced on trees 10-20 years of age. Fall color is yellow to golden brown and the peeling bark adds winter interest.. This tree supports many wildlife species. Unfortunately, this tree is threatened in its native habitat.
Use shellbark hickory in large yards for shade, in naturalized areas, along streams and ponds and to support wildlife. It can also be grown for the edible nuts. It can be messy with fruit, leaf and twig drop.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: No serious problems, but the pecam weavil and the hickory shuckworm can reduce nut production. White heart rot, anthracnose, leaf blotch, powdery mildew, leaf spot, catkin blight and crown gall are occasional diseases.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Carya
- Species:
- laciniosa
- Family:
- Juglandaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Used to make tool handles, sporting goods, furniture, cabinets, and veneer. Also used as fuelwood and charcoal.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Canada, central to eastern U.S.A., NC
- Distribution:
- AL , AR , DC , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NY , OH , OK , PA , TN , TX , VA , WV Canada: ON
- Wildlife Value:
- The leaves of the shellbark hickory are eaten by deer and other browsers while the nuts are consumed by deer, bears, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkey and other animals. It provides nutrition for bees in early to late spring. 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.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- Nuts are sweet and edible.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- 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:
- High Organic Matter
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
-
-
Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- The thick husk is green when young and becomes brown with maturity and is split into 4 sections. The nut is egg-shaped and tan in color and matures in the fall.
-
-
Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- 2-3 inch long yellow-green male catkins. Female flowers are produced in clusters of 2-6 on the same twigs as the catkins
-
-
Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The dark green odd-pinnate compound leaves have 5-9, but usually, 7 leaflets that are 4-8 inches long and 1- 2.5 inches across. They are broadly lance-shaped and pointed with fine teeth. The fall color is yellow to yellow-brown.
-
-
Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Exfoliating
- Ridges
- Scaly
- Smooth
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Irregular
- Bark Description:
- The bark is initially smooth and gray with shallow interlacing ridges, later developing long, loose plates, resulting in a shaggy appearance.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Young twigs are pale to medium brown with orange lenticels. They have hairs early in the season but become smooth later on.
-
-
Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Wet Soil
- Problems:
- Messy
