Carya ovata

Latin name: Carya ovata
Common name: Shagbark Hickory
Flowers: Not showy¹²
Fruit or cones: Showy, edible fruit¹²
Height & Width: 90’ x 70’¹⁶
Type: Deciduous¹⁶
Wetland indicator category** or ***: FACU+¹⁷
Habit: Upright ¹⁶
Texture: Coarse¹⁶
Growth rate: Slow¹⁶
Light: Full sun to part shade¹²
Moisture: Medium¹²
Soil*: Prefers loam, tolerates clay¹²
Zones: 4-8¹²
Origin: South Carolina and the eastern United States¹⁶
Features: Shagbark Hickories get their name from the peeling off of long strips of bark from their trunk with age. Along with this interesting feature the fruit is an edible nut that the Native Americans heavily relied on for food and today is sold commercially. The leaves are compound and turn yellow before falling in the fall. Small inconspicuous flowers appear in April.^12

Siting: A large area with plenty of room for a deep taproot. Although it can tolerate clay soils, it prefers well drained organically rich loam. Considered a shade giving tree, it is ideally located where this trait can be taken advantage of.¹²

Care: Plant so root flare is visible at soil surface¹⁴. At planting, water the root ball daily with two gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter for two weeks, every other day for two months and then weekly until established. Modify water recommendations to reflect site drainage and rainfall. Apply 3” of mulch over the planted area. Do not allow mulch to touch the trunk.¹⁴

Pests: Plants are relatively pest resistant if cultural preferences are met. The hickory bark beetle, pecan weevil and twig girdler have been known to infest in isolated areas.¹²

Author: Alexander Smolka

Sources:

1. Armitage, A. (2001). Armitage’s manual of annuals, biennials, and half-hardy perennials. Portland, OR: Timber Press.
2. Armitage, A. (2006). Armitage’s native plants for North American gardens. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press.
3. Armitage, A. (2008). Herbaceous perennial plants: A treatise on their identification, culture, and garden attributes.Athens, GA: University of Georgia.
4. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center.(2011). Flowers fact sheets. Retrieved from https://hgic.clemson.edu/category/flowers/
5. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center.(2011). Groundcovers & vines fact sheets.Retrieved from https://hgic.clemson.edu/category/groundcovers/
6. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center.(2011). Trees. Retrieved from https://hgic.clemson.edu/category/trees/
7. Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center.(2011). Shrubs. Retrieved from https://hgic.clemson.edu/category/shrubs/
8. Dirr, M. A. (2009). Manual of woody landscape plants. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing.
9. Gilman, E. F. (1997). Trees for urban and suburban landscapes. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers.
10. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center University of Texas at Austin. (2012). Native plant information network. Retrieved from http://www.wildflower.org/explore/
11. McMillan, P., Plant taxonomist Clemson University, personal communication.
12. Missouri Botanical Garden Kemper Center for Home Gardening. Plant finder. Retrieved from http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Alpha.asp
13. North Carolina State University (2005). Plant fact sheets. Retrieved from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/index.html
14. Strother, E. V., Ham, D. L., Gilland, L. (2003) Urban tree species guide: Choosing the right tree for the right place.  Columbia, SC: South Carolina Forestry Commission.
15. University of Florida, IFAS Extension. (2011). Southern trees fact sheet. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/department_envhort-trees
16. USDA . Plant profile. (n/d).Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/java/
17. USDA. Plant wetland indicator status. (n/d). Retrieved from http://plants.usda.gov/wetland.html
18. Vincent, E., Environmental horticulturist Clemson University, personal communication.

*Soil pH is determined using a professional soil test. Contact your Clemson University County Extension service for assistance www.clemson.edu/extension/. Click on “local offices”.

**2012 Plant Wetland Indicator categories (quantitative derived) http://plants.usda.gov/wetinfo.html