Known for its conspicuously shedding bark, shagbark hickory is a large deciduous tree from eastern North America. Spreading and round-topped in cultivation, in the wild it often has a single high-branched trunk and a narrow crown. The gray bark divides into large plates, which detach and curl back from the trunk at their tips, giving it a shaggy appearance.
The compound leaves of shagbark hickory are divided into 5 glossy lance-shaped yellow-green leaflets, with one leaflet at the tip and the others paired. The foliage turns a strong yellow in fall. Inconspicuous flowers appear in spring, with male flowers borne in drooping catkins on second year wood, and female flowers in short spikes at the tips of the new growth. Pollination is by wind. Green, spherical, thick-husked fruits ripen brown in fall, each fruit containing a pale, thin-shelled nut with a small sweet light brown kernel at its center. The flavorful, edible nuts are valuable to wildlife, including large birds.
Give this tree ample space and sunlight. Its long taproot grows best in deep well-drained soil. Use it in groups or as an individual specimen in parks, large residential properties, or naturalistic plantings. This tree has hard, heavy, dense wood that is valuable for furniture making, wood flooring and tool handles. Slow- and clean-burning, it is excellent for fuel or for adding a pleasing flavor to smoked meats. (info source: Learn2Grow.com)
Genus - Carya
Species - Ovata
Common name - Shagbark Hickory
Pre-Treatment - Required
Hardiness zones - 4 - 8
Height - 60'-80' / 18.3m - 24.4m
Spread - 40'-60' / 12.2m - 18.3m
Plant type - Large Tree
Vegetation type - Deciduous
Exposure - Full Sun
Growth rate - Slow
Soil PH - Acidic, Neutral
Soil type - Loam, sand, well drained
Water requirements - Average Water
Landscape uses - Edible, Shade Trees
Germination rate - 65%
Leaf / Flower color - Green / --
Useful Info | |
Germination | 1. Stratify the seeds. Stratification mimics the subjection to cold temperatures that hickory nuts require in the wild. Usually, squirrels facilitate this process by burying the nuts in the fall. The USDA recommends sowing seeds in a cold frame and letting them stratify for 60 to 150 days at 33 degrees Fahrenheit. They can also be stratified in the refrigerator, in 3 inches of moist sand. Stratify nuts in 3 inches of moist sand for 90 days. Keep the stratifying nuts in the refrigerator, and keep the soil moist. 2. Plant pecans in the spring after the last frost. Pecans will germinate easily under favorable conditions, provided they have good soil and adequate water. Plant them 1 inch deep, and keep the soil moist. If the soil is heavy or otherwise poor, amend it with compost; half soil and half compost should work well. 3. Plant pecans in nursery rows for transplantation later on, or plant them where you would like them to grow. (info source: eHow.com) |