Shagbark Hickory

Carya ovata

tree

Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) is a tall, stately native tree, commonly 70 to 90 ft, instantly known by its shaggy gray bark that peels away in long, curling plates. It bears the sweetest of the wild hickory nuts, encased in a thick husk that splits cleanly when ripe. It is a slow, deeply taprooted, very long-lived tree - wild seedlings may take many years to bear, while grafted, named cultivars can crop in 3 to 4 years and give better, easier-cracking nuts. It is closely related to pecan and produces juglone, though far less than black walnut.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Clover — A nitrogen-fixing groundcover for the soil beneath a young tree
• Comfrey — Deep roots gather nutrients for a chop-and-drop mulch
• Yarrow — Draws beneficial insects and pollinators

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Hickory shuckworm →

  Larvae feed in the husks and nuts; gather and destroy fallen nuts and husks to reduce overwintering numbers

• Hickory bark beetle →

  Attacks stressed trees and can kill limbs; keep trees vigorous and remove dead and dying wood

• Pecan weevil →

  The same weevil that troubles pecans bores into the nuts; sanitation of dropped nuts helps where pressure is high

🌾 Harvest & storage

Shagbark nuts ripen in fall, when the thick green-brown husks split into four parts and release the pale, hard-shelled nuts. Gather promptly off the ground ahead of squirrels, husk them, and dry in an airy, shaded place for a couple of weeks. The shells are hard but the kernels are richly sweet - many growers crack and pick them over winter. Cured in-shell nuts store for months in a cool, dry spot.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Shagbark hickory nuts are prized for a sweet, rich flavor rivaling pecan, eaten out of hand and in baking, and traditionally boiled into a nut milk. They are high in healthy fats. The tree produces mild juglone, so keep the most sensitive plants like tomatoes and potatoes out of the densest root zone; otherwise it is a magnificent, long-lived native shade and wildlife tree with unmistakable bark.