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Shagbark Hickory

  Physical information                

A large tree with a tall, narrow irregular crown. Height 70-100 feet (21-30m)   Diameter 2.5 ft (0.8). 
Leaves: Pinnately compound with elliptical or ovate leaflets. 
Bark: Light grey; separating into long stripes loosely attached at the middle. 
Twigs: brown and stout with large brown hairy buds. 
Flowers: Males and females both small and without petals, clustered in catkins. Borne separately on same plant in late spring early summer. 
Fruit: A thick-shelled, sweet, edible, whitish nut enclosed in a green husk. 

The name "hickory" is from PAWCOHICCORA, the Indian word for the oily food removed from pounded kernels steeped in boiling water.

 

Horticultural information  

Though rugged and picturesque, these trees do not make very desirable lawn and shade trees.  They grow slow and drop a great deal of husks and nuts each fall.

Rarely found north of the Bay city Muskegon line which divides lower Peninsula roughly into two halves. Being found mostly on dry, well drained, loamy sites. A characteristic tree of dry hills and fields in southern Michigan.

Economic uses

Hickory wood is one of the most specialized of our native woods. The light brown wood combines strength, toughness, hardness, flexibility, characteristics not found combined in many other woods. the dry weight is approximately 51 pounds to the cubic foot. Agricultural implements include, handles for tools, wheels,and baskets. As fuel wood Hickory is unexcelled; meats cured in Hickory smoke possess a distinctive flavor.

Medicinal uses

Native Americans used Carya ovata every day it seems. Tribes from many nations made great use of this tree.  The Chippewa placed fresh small shoots on hot stones as a herbal steam for headaches. The Iroquois made a decotion of bark taken for arthritis and applied as a poultice. The local Potawatomi would not only store the nuts for winter use in soups,breads,and cakes, they would craft the strong, elastic wood into bows and arrows.

References

Agriculture handbook no. 271  National Audubon guide to N. American trees

Other Sites of Interest

This page written by James B Rudolph  for Botany 141 , Fall 98

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