46 



Common Trees 



SHELLBARK HICKORY 



Carya ovata, {Miller) K. Koch 



THE Shellbark Hickory, also called Shagbark Hickory, 

 is the largest and the best known of the hickories. It 

 produces the best nuts of all the native hickories. 



The leaves are alternate,^8 to 14 inches long, compound, 

 with 5 to 7 leaflets. 

 The three upper leaf- 

 lets are the largest, 

 the pair nearest the 

 base is usually only 

 about one-half the 

 size of the terminal 

 ones. 



The flowers arc 

 similar to those of 

 the other hickories. 



The fruit is round, 

 1 to 2 inches long, 

 with husk that splits 

 into four sections 

 from apex to base. 

 The nuts are smooth, 

 white, 4-angled, 

 pointed at the ends. 

 The kernel is large 

 and sweet. 



The bark is 

 smooth and light 

 gray on young stems. 

 On old trunks it bc- 



compn d i «! t i n r f 1v SHELLBARK HICKORY 



comes a l si l n C C ly One-fourth natural size, except 7 which is natural 



shaggy. The twigs size and 8 slightly enlarged. 



are reddish-brown to gray, covered with numerous light 

 dots, usually smooth, sometimes hairy. The buds are egg- 

 shaped, blunt-pointed, about three-fifths of an inch long, 

 covered with about 10 bud-scales. 



The wood is very heavy, hard, strong, tough, elastic, close- 

 grained. Used chiefly for handles and vehicles. 



The Shellbark Hickory is found from Quebec to Minne- 

 sota, south to Florida and Texas. It is common to abun- 

 dant throughout Ohio, occurring chiefly on rich, deep, well- 

 drained soils. Locally it reproduces itself on abandoned 

 fields. This tree, usually reaching a height of 50 to 75 feet 

 and a diameter of 2 feet, should be carefully protected. 

 Closely related to it is the Big Shellbark Hickory, which is 

 common in southern Ohio, becoming rarer northward. Its 

 nuts are larger and harder to crack than those of the com- 

 mon Shellbark. 



