David Beaulieu is a garden writer with nearly 20 years experience writing about landscaping and over 10 years experience working in nurseries. Suppress all weed growth within a yard or so of your nut tree by, The meat of the nut within the hard outer shell. Squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, and mice are among the critters who like these nuts. Even when the leaves are long gone from the deciduous trees in winter, this feature provides landscape interest. Copyright 2020, University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. This unusual bark juts out from one or both ends, curling outward. Because of these qualities, it is used in sporting goods and tool handles. Just be aware: Rodents and other pests are fond of shagbark hickory nuts and may get to them before you do. native to PA and the northeast US. Do not try cracking the husk prematurely unless you are a glutton for hard work. For general undergraduate student information, contact Dr. Rick Durham at (859) 257-3249, or rdurham@uky.edu. N-318 Ag Sciences Center University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40546-0091, Fax (Lexington): 859-257-2859 (Princeton): 270-365-2667, For questions about home gardening, landscaping or commercial horticulture production, please contact your county extension agent. While it may lead to leaf loss, anthracnose isn't considered a threat to a tree's health. It would just take too long to enjoy a harvest if you tried raising seedlings from the wild. Although they can reach a height of 130 feet in some portions of their range, these popular nut trees often reach only about half that size. … Shagbark hickories are deciduous and provide excellent fall foliage color. Shagbarks also are vulnerable to anthracnose, which causes brown spots on its leaves. The wood of shagbark hickory nut trees is very hard, and it is used to make ax handles, baseball bats, and other products that demand tough lumber. Site design : Academic Web Pages. Shagbark hickories are not grown exclusively for their nuts. The wood of shagbark hickory is famous for being heavy and tough, yet flexible and shock-resistant. For graduate student information, contact Dr. Doug Archbold at 859-257-3352, or darchbol@uky.edu, Shagbark Hickory - Carya ovataWalnut Family (Juglandaceae). Ripening begins in September and October. As a member of the walnut family, the hickory produces edible nuts. The wood also makes for excellent firewood. For this reason, some harvesters just wait until late autumn for all the nuts to fall. Among the insects that plague the shagbark hickory are aphids and the aptly-named hickory bark beetle. The common name refers to the way the bark peels away from the trunk in long strips. Shagbark hickory. It was once used to make wheels and spokes for carriages and wagons, as well as for automobiles. Keeping trees well-watered and scraping off discolored wood may help slow the spread of canker. Examples of cultivars are 'Grainger,' 'Abundance,' and 'Yoder.' They grow in full to partial sun. The fragrant nut the trees bear is said to be the tastiest of any of the hickory nut trees. Click here, then click on your county either on the map or from the list of counties below it. The wood is also used as fuel and to make high-quality charcoal to smoke bacon, ham and other meats. A species indigenous to North America, shagbark hickory trees are widespread in the Eastern U.S. in zones 4 to 8. Slow-growing giants, they can rise to a mature height of over 100 feet. Go Native Tree Farm is a volume grower of the six species of hickories (Carya sp.) Shagbark hickory trees are slow growers if left to their own devices, so you will need to cheat if you wish to plant one and harvest home-grown nuts from it sometime soon. Shagbark hickory has a sweet, white nut that Native Americans stored in massive quantities and used to make "hickory milk," a nutritious staple of most of their cooking. Here are some tips for growing shagbark hickory trees: Like most hickory trees, shagbark hickory nut trees are susceptible to canker, a wood-rotting fungus that will kill the tree. Some of the larger wild birds eat shagbark hickory nuts, including turkeys. The edges of long plates of bark curl away from the trunk, giving this tree a very rugged appearance. The genus name, Carya, is from the Greek name for the walnut tree (karya); its species name, ovata, is Latin for ovate, referring to its egg-shaped nut husk, buds and leaves. The Spruce uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. They grow in full to partial sun. Shagbark hickory is beautiful when its winter buds open in late spring; the bud scales fold …